Effects of synthesis methods on the performance of Pt + Rh/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 three-way catalysts

The 0.7 wt% Pt + 0.3 wt% Rh/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 catalysts were fabricated via different methods, including ultrasonic-assisted membrane reduction (UAMR) co-precipitation, UAMR separation precipitation, co-impregnation, and sequential impregnation. The catalysts were physico-chemically characterized by N2 adsorption, XRD, TEM, and H2-TPR techniques, and evaluated for three-way catalytic activities with simulated automobile exhaust. UAMR co-precipitation- and UAMR separation precipitation-prepared catalysts exhibited a high surface area and metal dispersion, wide λ window and excellent conversion for NOx reduction under lean conditions. Both fresh and aged catalysts from UAMR-precipitation showed the high surface areas of ca. 60–67 m2/g and 18–22 m2/g, respectively, high metal dispersion of 41%–55%, and small active particle diameters of 2.1–2.7 nm. When these catalysts were aged, the catalysts prepared by the UAMR method exhibited a wider working window (Δλ = 0.284–0.287) than impregnated ones (Δλ = 0.065–0.115) as well as excellent three-way catalytic performance, and showed lower T50 (169°C) and T90 (195°C) for NO reduction than the aged catalysts from impregnation processes, which were at 265 and 309°C, respectively. This implied that the UAMR-separation precipitation has important potential for industrial applications to improve catalytic performance and thermal stability. The fresh and aged 0.7 wt% Pt + 0.3 wt% Rh/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 catalysts prepared by the UAMR-separation precipitation method exhibited better catalytic performance than the corresponding catalysts prepared by conventional impregnation routes.