Influence of silica and alumina supports on the temperature-programmed reduction of copper(II) oxide

Abstract

Temperature-programmed reduction has been used to study the reduction of copper oxide supported on silica and alumina. It has been shown that copper oxide exists in two distinct phases when supported on silica, dispersed cupric oxide and a copper silicate species. The relative amounts of the two phases depend on surface area and copper loading, while the reducibility of the silicate phase is dependent on calcination temperature. No evidence of support interaction is found for α-Al₂O₃, while the complex t.p.r. profiles obtained for copper on γ-Al₂O₃ suggest complex support interaction.