Structured Perovskite-Based Catalysts and Their Application as Three-Way Catalytic Converters-A Review

Automotive Three-Way Catalysts (TWC) were introduced more than 40 years ago. Despite that, the development of a sustainable TWC still remains a critical research topic owing to the increasingly stringent emission regulations together with the price and scarcity of precious metals. Among other material classes, perovskite-type oxides are known to be valuable alternatives to conventionally used TWC compositions and have demonstrated to be suitable for a wide range of automotive applications, ranging from TWC to Diesel Oxidation Catalysts (DOC), from NOx Storage Reduction catalysts (NSR) to soot combustion catalysts. The interest in these catalysts has been revitalized in the past ten years by the introduction of the concept of catalyst regenerability of perovskite-based TWC, which is in principle well applicable to other catalytic processes as well, and by the possibility to reduce the amounts of critical elements, such as precious metals without seriously lowering the catalytic performance. The aim of this review is to show that perovskite-type oxides have the potential to fulfil the requirements (high activity, stability, and possibility to be included into structured catalysts) for implementation in TWC.