Defect engineering technique for the fabrication of LaCoO₃ perovskite catalyst via urea treatment for total oxidation of propane

The low defect content and poor oxygen mobility of perovskite catalysts limit its application in VOC elimination. Herein, we report a strategy involving defect engineering route following an easy urea treatment method to enhance the propane oxidation performance of perovskite catalysts. The constructed LaCoO₃-D43 exhibits superior catalytic activity (T₉₀ = 309.3 °C), the T₉₀ value is 150 °C lower than that of LaCoO₃, and excellent thermal stability against CO₂ and H₂O. Experimental results revealed that the urea pyrolysis resulted in the generation of La and O defects and rich surface-active Co species in high-valence states, increasing the utilization of Co active sites. DFT calculations show that the exposed Co surface is conducive to the adsorption and dissociation of oxygen and propane. This work provides a defect engineering strategy to effectively activate perovskite catalysts performance, and can be generalized for the fabrication of other types of perovskite catalysts.