Highly dispersed cobalt oxide nanoparticles on manganese oxide nanotubes for aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol

Hybrid Co3O4/MnO2 nanotube-based catalysts were prepared by a simple hydrothermal synthesis method. The physico-chemical properties of Co3O4/MnO2 catalyst were then studied by different characterization techniques, namely, SEM, TEM and HR-TEM, XRD, BET surface area, XPS and H2-TPR. The hybrid catalyst showed superior catalytic performance toward benzyl alcohol oxidation than pure MnO2 nanotubes and Co3O4 nanoparticles. The uniform dispersion of Co3O4 nanoparticles, good redox behaviour, the variable oxidation states of manganese and cobalt (Mn3+/4+ or Co3+/2+) as well as the abundance of active surface oxygen species were responsible for such a high catalytic activity.