Cooperative effect of Ce and Pr in the catalytic combustion of ethanol in mixed Cu/CoMgAl oxides obtained from hydrotalcites

The cooperative effect of Ce and Pr in the modification of mixed copper and cobalt oxide catalysts which were synthesized starting from the co-precipitation method of a hydrotalcite structure was evaluated in the catalytic combustion of ethanol. The solids were characterized by XRD, XRF, H₂-TPR, O₂-TPD and N₂ adsorption. The greatest catalytic performance was associated with the increase in the oxygen storage capacity and reducibility in the solids that contain rare earth elements (Ce-Pr) and with the improvement in the specific surface area. Additionally, the high selectivity towards CO₂, which is the principal product in total oxidation, demonstrates that the solids modified with Cu and/or Co and promoted with rare earth elements, are excellent catalysts in the total oxidation of ethanol, evidencing a cooperative effect among the metals.