PVP Aided Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Porous CoMn₂O₄ for Catalytic Soot Oxidation

The present study investigates the catalytic properties of spinel CoMn₂O₄ in soot oxidation when synthesized using the sol-gel combustion method. The catalytic activity of the catalysts for soot combustion was evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis. The phase formation of CoMn₂O₄ was confirmed using XRD analysis. A highly porous and flaky structure was observed using SEM analysis. BET validated the increased surface area. The results demonstrated that CoMn₂O₄ exhibited excellent catalytic activity for soot oxidation, with T_50% at 440 °C. The cause of the high catalytic activity was linked to the synergistic interaction of Co and Mn ions, which facilitated the generation of oxygen vacancies and improved the adsorption of oxygen species on the catalyst's surface. The study shows that CoMn₂O₄ has the potential to be an effective catalyst for oxidizing soot in diesel engine exhaust.