Rajagopal, R.Patil, S.S.Prasad Dasari, H.P.Harshini, H.Sundarabal, S.2026-02-032025Scientific Reports, 2025, 15, 1, pp. -https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85736-2https://idr.nitk.ac.in/handle/123456789/19909Efficient catalysts for soot oxidation are critical for mitigating environmental pollution. In this study, CoMn<inf>2</inf>O<inf>4</inf> spinel catalysts were synthesised using reverse co-precipitation and co-precipitation methods to evaluate their performance in soot oxidation and kinetic behaviour. All samples exhibited a tetragonal phase (XRD) and spherical morphology with rough surfaces (SEM). Raman spectroscopy confirmed structural disorder and oxygen vacancies, while XPS analysis revealed the presence of low-valence Mn ions, facilitating oxygen vacancy formation critical for soot oxidation. Additionally, the co-existence of Co and Mn ions contributed to a synergistic effect, enhancing the catalytic properties of the spinel structure. The reverse co-precipitation method produced a catalyst with a higher concentration of oxygen vacancies and active oxygen species among the samples. This sample demonstrated superior catalytic performance, achieving a T<inf>50%</inf> of 424 °C, low activation energy (153 kJ/mol) and pre-exponential factor (25 min? 1). Soot TPR analysis highlighted the role of catalyst reducibility, while thermogravimetric analysis revealed that activation energy and pre-exponential factors were influenced by surface composition. These findings provide valuable insights into the design of efficient catalysts for soot oxidation, emphasising the importance of synthesis methods and surface characteristics. © The Author(s) 2025.oxygenarticlecatalysiscatalystcontrolled studykineticsoxidationoxidation kineticsprecipitationRaman spectrometrysootsynthesisthermogravimetry