Ethane and propane oxidation on platinum and copper supported on Al2O3 and CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts were studied comparatively by examining reaction rates as a function of temperature. Results show that the addition of cerium oxide shifts the catalytic activity to higher temperatures. This negative influence is less pronounced in the case of supported copper samples, which on the basis of EPR and FTIR of adsorbed CO results is attributed to the low relative amount of this metal is in contact with ceria. The decrease in activity the presence of ceria might be due to changes in metal particle size or to the stabilization of the oxidized states of the metals, induced by their interactions with cerium oxide. The higher activity of platinum, in comparison with copper, is attributed to its higher reducibility along with an easier hydrocarbon activation on that metal.
Catalytic activity; oxidation; copper
