High-area alumina supported Cu–Ce atomic species for water–gas shift reaction

Abstract

Atomically dispersed cerium species, anchored to high-area alumina by unsaturated penta-coordinated aluminum, strongly interact with atomically dispersed Cu species to provide active centers for water–gas shift reaction (WGSR). The alumina-anchored Ce³⁺ species stabilize atomically dispersed Cu⁺ to form Cu⁺–Ce³⁺ active complexes and they work synergistically to enhance low-temperature WGSR activity. This work offers alternative approaches to developing low-cost catalysts for the WGSR process.