Tuning Amorphous‐Crystalline Catalytic Interfaces by Mechanochemistry: Cu‐Based Metallic Glasses Coupled with Ceria for CO Oxidation
Abstract
Abstract Amorphous metallic alloys, with their liquid‐like atomic‐scale structure, are promising candidates for developing unprecedented heterogeneous catalysts due to their non‐equilibrium, highly disordered state. This study explores the combination of copper‐based metallic glasses with crystalline ceria as catalysts for CO oxidation and preferential CO oxidation. The amorphous/crystalline interfaces are synthesized mechanochemically, offering a cost‐effective alternative to the use of precious metals while maintaining high catalytic activity. Key parameters of the ball milling process are optimized, namely milling time and frequency, to enhance the interaction between the disordered metal and crystalline ceria, and the new catalysts are thoroughly characterized using ex situ techniques (XRD, DSC, HAADF‐STEM‐EDX, H 2 ‐TPR, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS), and under operando conditions (XAFS and NEXAFS). These analyses reveal that the amorphous/crystalline architectures play a crucial role in catalytic performance. The results show that combining amorphous Cu‐based metallic glasses with crystalline CeO 2 delivers remarkable catalytic activity in preferential CO oxidation ( T 50 = 115 °C; 43.1 ± 0.4 mol CO 2 min −1 g catalyst −1 ), pointing to a sustainable and efficient design strategy of catalysts. This approach reduces reliance on noble metals while leveraging the synergy between structural disorder and crystallinity, thereby opening new directions for next‐generation catalyst development.
Article Details
Authors (18)
Maahin Mirzay‐Shahim
Department of Physics Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Mehran Nabahat
Laia Pascua‐Solé
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Isabel Serrano
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Ilaria Lucentini
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Xènia Garcia
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Marina Armengol‐Profitós
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Asier Agrelo‐Lestón
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Ignasi Burgués‐Ceballos
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Núria J. Divins
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Ignacio J. Villar‐García
CELLS‐ALBA Synchrotron Radiation Facility Cerdanyola del Valles 08290 Barcelona Spain
Virginia Pérez‐Dieste
CELLS‐ALBA Synchrotron Light Source Barcelona Spain
Carlos Escudero
CELLS‐ALBA Synchrotron Light Source Barcelona Spain
Carlo Marini
ALBA Synchrotron Light Source
Jordi Llorca
Department of Chemical Engineering and Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, UPC-EEBE, Eduard Maristany 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
Eloi Pineda
Pere Bruna
Department of Physics Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
Lluís Soler
Department of Chemical Engineering Institute of Energy Technologies Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Spain