Hydrothermal Synthesis of CeO2 Nanoparticles on Activated Carbon with Enhanced Desulfurization Activity

Nanosized CeO 2 particles with a diameter of ∼200 nm were successfully loaded on activated carbon (AC) via a single-step hydrothermal process. The synthetic parameters, including hydrothermal temperature, precursor concentration, and reaction time, were regulated to control the size of the as-prepared CeO 2 nanoparticles. The catalytic activity of CeO 2 nanoparticles/AC was investigated by dynamic adsorption of SO 2 from simulated flue gas, and the results exhibited remarkably enhanced SO 2 adsorption capacity. The reaction mechanism of adsorbing and trapping SO 2 by CeO 2 nanoparticles/AC was discussed by laser Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and thermodynamic calculations, which demonstrated that, in the presence of SO 2 and O 2, the generation of sulfate, accompanied by partial reduction of Ce 4+ to Ce 3+, was the key process during SO 2 removal in our desulfurization experiments.