The catalytic performance of Au/La-CeOx catalyst for PROX reaction in H2 rich stream

•The support preparation method affected the activity of a prepared gold catalyst.•The different activity of the Au/La-CeOx catalyst related to the surface area.•The higher calcinations promoted the Au(0) formation in Au/La-CeOx.•The higher gold loading resulted in the larger gold particle on catalyst surface.•The Au/La-CeOx showed good stability in PROX reaction.

The Au/La-CeOx catalysts were prepared and tested for the PROX reaction. The effects of the support preparation method, Au loading, calcination temperature, oxygen pretreatment on the catalytic activity, and the stability test were investigated. It was found that the catalyst preparation could affect the surface area, gold particle size, and the state of gold, which are strongly related to the catalytic activity. The results indicated that the La-CeOx prepared by the NH4OH precipitation method have high activity and thermal stability. Under the stability test, the catalyst was stable, even though water was added in the feed stream up to 10%.