Effect of TiO2 Crystallite Size on the Activity of CO Oxidation

Nanocrystalline TiO2 with average crystallite sizes 7 and 15 nm were synthesized by the solvothermal method using titanium n-butoxide and 1,4-butanediol as titanium precursor and solvent, respectively. Four transition metals (Ag, Co, Ni, Pt) were supported on the TiO2 supports by incipient wetness impregnation with metal loadings 1 and 25 atomic%. For any metal type, metal dispersion and CO oxidation activities were higher when the catalysts were prepared on the larger crystallite size TiO2 for both high and low metal loadings, despite their lower surface areas. The presence of higher amount of Ti3+ on the larger crystallite size TiO2 probably stabilized small metal particles during impregnation, calcination, and reduction steps via stronger metal-support interaction; hence higher CO oxidation activities and lower light-off temperature were obtained.