Catalytic oxidation of soot particulates over MnOx-CeO2 oxides prepared by complexation-combustion method

MnOx-CeO2 oxides prepared by complexation-combustion method were used for soot oxidation. The highest conversion rate of soot was obtained on a MnOx-CeO2 oxide prepared under mild acid condition of pH = 4, where the oxidation temperature corresponding to maximum activity was decreased more than 150 °C compared with that of un-catalytic soot oxidation. The structure and property of the catalysts were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The results indicated that there were at least two kinds of Mn species present in MnOx-CeO2 catalysts, i.e. Mn ions within CeO2 lattice and high dispersion MnOx on the surface of CeO2. The presence of Mn ions in the CeO2 lattice improved the oxygen vacancy due to the charge difference, and the CeO2 considerably decreased the reduction temperature of MnOx. The capability to activate oxygen through the oxygen exchange between O2 in gas phase and lattice oxygen species in MnOx-CeO2 oxide contributed to the high catalytic activity for the reaction.