Fullerene-like soot from EuroIV diesel engine:: consequences for catalytic automotive pollution control

Soot particulates from an EuroIV diesel engine are sampled and investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM) and thermal gravimetry. The experiments reveal a drastic reduction of primary particle size down to less than 20 nm, much smaller than that emitted by earlier diesel engines. HRTEM reveals primary particles with deformed fullerenoid structures. The defective fullerenoid soot is more prone to oxidation than the soot of a black smoking diesel engine. Our findings may initiate a critical review of the current strategy for the reduction of soot emission from diesel engines. The newly developed engines reduce the quantity of soot emitted, they also emit smaller soot particles with a fullerene-like structure into the exhaust.