Low‐Temperature H<sub>2</sub> Reduction of Copper Oxide Subnanoparticles
Kazutaka Sonobe, Makoto Tanabe, Takane Imaoka, Wang‐Jae Chun, Kimihisa Yamamoto
Abstract
Abstract Subnanoparticles (SNPs) with sizes of approximately 1 nm are attractive for enhancing the catalytic performance of transition metals and their oxides. Such SNPs are of particular interest as redox‐active catalysts in selective oxidation reactions. However, the electronic states and oxophilicity of copper oxide SNPs are still a subject of debate in terms of their redox properties during oxidation reactions for hydrocarbons. In this work, in situ X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements of Cu 28 O x SNPs, which were prepared by using a dendritic phenylazomethine template, during temperature‐programmed reduction (TPR) with H 2 achieved lowering of the temperature ( T 50 =138 °C) reported thus far for the Cu II →Cu I reduction reaction because of Cu−O bond elongation in the ultrasmall copper oxide particles.