A rod-like Co3O4 with high efficiency and large specific surface area for lean methane catalytic oxidation

•Co3O4 catalyst with large specific surface area was successfully synthesized by hard template method.•Due to the large specific surface area, the presence of more surface oxygen vacancies enhances the activity of lean methane catalytic oxidation.•Co3O4 shows the good activity, whichT50 and T90 for catalytic oxidation of methane are 320 °C and 385 °C. It maintains good activity under wet or high gas speed velocity.•The reaction takes place through carbonate intermediates. The high activity of the prepared catalyst is attributed to the fact that carbonates are not accumulated on the surface.