Metallo-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) for the Development of Heterogeneous Catalysts

A heterogeneous copper catalyst was developed using a novel technique metallo-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Highly porous activated carbon was selected as the catalyst support to provide a high specific area. Copper acetylacetonate was used as the precursor. The precursor was evaporated by heating, transported using carrier gas, deposited into the mesopores and micropores of the support, and finally decomposed and reduced under controlled conditions to elemental metal. A vacuum is applied to enhance the volatility of the precursor. The effects of the carrier gas flow rate and deposition time were studied. The developed catalyst was characterized using the appropriate analytical methods, and its catalytic efficiency was evaluated in the catalytic wet oxidation of phenol solution. The heterogeneous catalyst developed by MOCVD was found to be a monolayer and has a higher catalytic efficiency than that prepared by the impregnation method.