Performance enhancement in the water–gas shift reaction of platinum deposited over a cerium-modified TiO2 support

A novel catalyst consisting of platinum deposited over a cerium-modified titania substrate has been studied. Pt supported on Ce-modified TiO2 catalyt shows better thermal stability respect to bare TiO2 support and higher WGS activity than those corresponding to individual titania and ceria supports, indicating a cooperative effect between Pt and the Ce-modified TiO2 support. XPS and TPR results revealed the intimate contact between Pt and cerium entities in the Pt/Ce–TiO2 catalyst that facilitates the reducibility of the support at low-temperatures while the Ce–O–Ti surface interactions established in the Ce-modifed support TiO2 decrease the overreduction of TiO2 at high-temperature. Comparison of catalytic activity with catalysts characterization suggests that the modifications in the reducibility of the support and the stability of metallic particles when platinum is supported on cerium-modified TiO2 are responsible of the better catalytic behaviour of this sample in the water–gas shift reaction.