Surface and catalytic properties of CuO doped with MgO and Ag2O

The effects of doping of CuO solid with MgO (0.4–1.5 mol%) and Ag2O (0.2–0.75 mol%) on its surface and catalytic properties were investigated. The results obtained revealed that MgO doping of CuO conducted at 300–700°C resulted in an increase of 18% for SBET while Ag2O treatment exerted a decrease of 19% for SBET of the doped adsorbents. The doping of CuO either with MgO or Ag2O conducted at 300–700°C effected an increase in its catalytic activity towards H2O2 decomposition to an extent proportional to the concentration of the dopant employed. The addition of 1.5 mol% MgO followed by precalcination at 300–700°C resulted in an increase of 46, 87 and 50% in the value of the reaction rate constant measured at 30°C (k30°C) over the solids precalcined at 300, 500 and 700°C, respectively. The treatment of CuO with 0.75 mol% Ag2O carried out at 300–700°C exerted an increase of 285, 925 and 1170% in the value of k30°C for the reaction taking place over the treated solids calcined at 300, 500 and 700°C, respectively. The measurement of activation energy of the catalytic reaction for pure and variously doped solids revealed that the doping process did not modify the energetic nature of the active sites involved in the catalysed reaction but increase their concentration.