Cryogenic Carbon Monoxide Oxidation on Cuprous Oxide
Journal article, 2026
Performing oxidation reactions at low temperatures using earth-abundant materials is crucial for advancing solutions for sustainable chemistry. CO oxidation serves as a benchmark reaction to characterize oxidation and to advance fundamental concepts in surface chemistry. While there are several examples of CO oxidation occurring on metal oxides at low temperatures, from 300 K to ∼200 K, reactivity in the cryogenic temperature regime typically requires a metal nanoparticle on a metal oxide. Here, we show oxygen atoms on the (111) facet of Cu2O react with CO to form CO2 at temperatures below 100 K. Combining spectroscopic experimental evidence with calculations, we propose a low barrier path for CO oxidation at reconstructed surface sites on Cu2O(111). This finding is a rare example of an earth-abundant metal oxide, in this case copper, that can provide highly reactive multifunctional sites, enabling both adsorption and reaction fundamental steps toward the efficient heterogeneous oxidation of chemicals.
Surface chemistry
Cuprous oxide
IRRAS
Density functional calculations
CO oxidation
Author
Burcu Karagoz
Diamond Light Source
Tianhao Hu
Stony Brook University
Joakim Halldin Stenlid
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
AlbaNova University Center
Stanford University
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Xiaoming Hu
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Markus Soldemo
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
AlbaNova University Center
Frank Abild-Pedersen
Stanford University
Kess Marks
AlbaNova University Center
Henrik Öström
AlbaNova University Center
Dario Stacchiola
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Jonas Weissenrieder
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Ashley R. Head
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Angewandte Chemie
14337851 (ISSN) 15213773 (eISSN)
Vol. 65 1 e15673Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Materials Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Surface- and Corrosion Engineering
Driving Forces
Sustainable development
Areas of Advance
Energy
Materials Science
DOI
10.1002/anie.202515673
PubMed
41208450