Highly active behaviors of CeO2–CrOx mixed oxide catalysts in deep oxidation of 1,2-dichloroethane

Abstract Four CeO 2 –CrO x mixed oxide catalysts were synthesized by different preparation methods and investigated for deep oxidation of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), as a typical representative of the chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs). The results show that the CeO 2 –CrO x –C and CeO 2 –CrO x –M catalysts prepared by coprecipitation and microemulsion methods exhibit higher catalytic activity for DCE decomposition coupled with higher selectivity to CO 2 and HCl formation and only trace of chlorinated byproduct is detected, probably due to their relatively more total acidity, higher ratio of strong/weak acidity, more Cr 6+ species with strong oxidizing ability and more accessible oxygen species. Moreover, higher specific surface area and wider pore-size distribution of mesopores are also favorable for the improvement of catalytic performances.