The catalytic behavior of precisely synthesized Pt-Pd bimetallic catalysts for use as diesel oxidation catalysts

The demands of stricter diesel engine emission regulations have created challenges for current exhaust systems. With advances in low-temperature internal combustion engines and their operations, advances must also be made in vehicle exhaust catalysts. Most current diesel oxidation catalysts use heavy amounts of precious group metals (PGMs) for hydrocarbon (HC), CO, and NO oxidation. These catalysts are expensive and are most often synthesized with poor bimetallic interaction and dispersion. The goal of this work was to study the effect of aging on diesel emission abatement of Pt-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles precisely prepared with different morphologies: well dispersed core-shell vs. well dispersed homogeneously alloyed vs. poorly dispersed, poorly alloyed particles. Alumina and silica supports were studied. Particle morphology and dispersion were analyzed before and after hydrothermal treatments by XRD, EDX, and STEM. Reactivity as a function of aging was measured in simulated diesel engine exhaust. While carefully controlled bimetallic catalyst nanoparticle structure has a profound influence on initial or low temperature catalytic activity, the differences in behavior disappear with higher temperature aging as thermodynamic equilibrium is achieved. The metallic character of Pt-rich alumina-supported catalysts is such that behavior rather closely follows the Pt-Pd metal phase diagram. Nanoparticles disparately composed as well-dispersed core-shell (via seq-SEA), well-dispersed homogeneously alloyed (via co SEA), and poorly dispersed, poorly alloyed (via co-DI) end up as well alloyed, large particles of almost the same size and activity. With Pd-rich systems, the oxidation of Pd also figures into the equilibrium, such that Pd-rich oxide phases appear in the high temperature forms along with alloyed metal cores. The small differences in activity after high temperature aging can be attributed to the synthesis methods, sequential SEA and co-DI which give rise, after aging, to a bimetallic surface enriched in Pd. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.