Exploring the Effect of Co3O4 Nanocatalysts with Different Dimensional Architectures on Methane Combustion

We fabricated Co3O4 catalysts with different spatial structures, such as zero‐dimensional (nanoparticles), one‐dimensional (nanorods), two‐dimensional (nanoplates), and three‐dimensional (mesoporous and microporous) structures, for methane combustion. The Co3O4 catalysts with different dimensional architectures demonstrated different activities for the breaking of the C−H bond of methane. In particular, Co3O4 with 2 D structure gave rise to the highest activity among all the samples, in which methane could be initially ignited below 200 °C and completely converted to CO2 at 375 °C. This activity is attributed to the collective contribution from all the exposed high‐index planes of 2 D Co3O4 and to more surface‐active species being formed on 2 D Co3O4. In this dimension: The effect of the structure of Co3O4 on methane combustion was explored, by studying Co3O4 nanoparticles (0 D), nanorods (1 D), nanoplates (2 D), and mesoporous and microporous structures (3 D). 2 D Co3O4 gave rise to the highest activity among all the samples, attributed to a collective contribution from the exposed high‐index planes of 2 D Co3O4 and from more surface‐active species formed on the 2 D Co3O4.