Catalytic oxidation of CO on CuOx revisited: Impact of the surface state on the apparent kinetic parameters

Analysis of kinetic features of the copper oxides reduction by CO pulses as related to mechanism of CO catalytic oxidation by oxygen combined with monitoring the state of the surface by an electrochemical technique using a solid electrolyte—Pyrex glass and high resolution TEM data on the defect structure of CuO allowed us to suggest a partially “flexible” model of CuO surface. This model, with a due regard for the data of FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO test molecules, assigns the most active surface sites able to coordinate highly reactive CO and O forms to clusters of Cu+ cations located at outlets of extended defects (dislocations, twins). Variation of the number, size and structure of these clusters under the reaction medium effect allows explaining the difference between quasi-steady and true steady states of copper oxides in catalytic CO oxidation reaction as well as the difference between kinetic parameters of reaction estimated at quasi-steady and constant states of the surface following Boreskovʹs approach. Kinetic features of the reaction agree with the Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction mechanism operating for clustered defect centers of CuO.