Simultaneous catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and soot with Ce–Zr–Nd mixed oxides in simulated diesel exhaust conditions

• CeZrNd mixed oxides accelerate simultaneously soot, propylene and benzene oxidation.
• Best Ce0.73−xZr0.27NdxO2 catalysts were obtained with 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.09.
• Nd improves surface reducibility and creation of oxygen vacancies.

Ce0.73−xZr0.27NdxO2 mixed oxides (x ≤ 0.3) were prepared, characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, N2 adsorption isotherms and H2-TPR, and tested for simultaneous CO, propylene, benzene and soot oxidation in a gas mixture containing O2, NOx, H2O, CO2, CO, propylene (model aliphatic hydrocarbon) and benzene (model aromatic hydrocarbon) that simulates a diesel exhaust. Ce–Zr mixed oxide doping with a low atomic fraction of neodymium (0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.09) promotes the creation of oxygen vacancies, has a minor effect in the BET specific surface areas of the oxides, increases the surface ceria reducibility and has a positive effect in the catalytic activity. On the contrary, higher neodymium atomic fractions (x = 0.2 and 0.3) promote sintering, with a drastic decrease of the BET specific surface area, surface reducibility and catalytic activity. The Ce0.73−xZr0.27NdxO2 catalysts with x ≤ 0.09 are able to accelerate simultaneously soot, propylene and benzene combustion, and as a general trend, the catalytic behavior of Ce0.73Zr0.27O2 is improved by low atomic fraction neodymium doping (0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.09). These Ce0.73−xZr0.27NdxO2 mixed oxides with 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.09 are also able to accelerate CO oxidation in a certain extent, but there is a net production of CO during soot combustion because the oxidation capacity of these oxides is not high enough to oxidize all CO released as soot combustion product.

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