Scientists from the Omsk-based Center of New Chemical Technologies BIC of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) are developing bimetallic catalysts based on silver and copper with support from the Russian Science Foundation. The researchers are trying to find a more affordable and sustainable replacement for conventional palladium/platinum systems that are used to oxidize carbon monoxide. This work is of practical importance to the city of Omsk, where carbon monoxide remains a major air pollutant.
According to the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor), carbon monoxide accounted for some 30% of Russia’s pollutant emissions in 2025, or 5.2 million tons out of 15 million tons. This problem is especially evident in industrial centers and cities with heavy traffic congestion. In Omsk, short-term exceedances of maximum permissible CO concentrations are recorded on a regular basis: for instance, they reached nine times the maximum permissible limit in the fall of 2025. In total, about 19,000 tons of CO was emitted into the city’s atmosphere that year.
Today, carbon monoxide is usually neutralized via palladium and platinum-based catalysts. However, these solutions remain expensive and lose effectiveness over time. As an alternative, the Omsk-based scientists are considering a combination of silver and copper applied to a titanium dioxide substrate.
Titanium dioxide was chosen thanks to its structural properties. The surface of this material contains a large number of defects, or so-called vacancies, which increase its chemical activity. This is supposed to enhance the interaction between the substrate and the active particles, potentially improving the overall efficiency of the catalyst.
The study pays particular attention to the mechanism of these systems. The researchers are looking into how catalyst components interact, how oxygen is activated and which active particles determine the reaction rate. They are using state-of-the-art methods, including electron paramagnetic resonance, which makes it possible to detect reactive oxygen species and assess their role in the catalytic process.
