A new apparatus for carbon monoxide oxidation studies performed over thin film catalysts

Here we describe the apparatus developed in our laboratory for carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation studies dedicated to test thin film catalysts deposited on flat substrates. Our apparatus is original for its unique technical solutions, especially in continuous gas flow mode, and specifically as: (i) the sample holder is designed such that it can allow the gas flow to interact with the entire surface of the catalyst film to be utilized for the CO oxidation reaction, (ii) three different mass flow controllers permit a gas mixture of any composition during the measurement, (iii) CO to CO2 conversion is continuously monitored for long periods of time and can be tested in a wide range of temperatures (30-500 °C) with high accuracy on-line gas chromatography, and (iv) several security measures are guaranteed during the handling of CO gas. To test the efficiency of the apparatus, an experiment for CO oxidation was carried out at various temperatures using cobalt oxide cluster-assembled thin films synthesized by pulsed laser deposition over a glass substrate.