High-area alumina supported Cu-Ce atomic species for water-gas shift reaction.

Atomically dispersed cerium species, anchored to high-area alumina by unsaturated penta-coordinated aluminum, strongly interact with atomically dispersed Cu species to provide active centers for water-gas shift reaction (WGSR). The alumina-anchored Ce 3+ species stabilize atomically dispersed Cu + to form Cu + -Ce 3+ active complexes and they work synergistically to enhance low-temperature WGSR activity. This work offers alternative approaches to developing low-cost catalysts for the WGSR process.