Journal of Advanced Chemical Engineering

Abstract

Synthesis and Characterization of Ceria Supported Platinum via Facile Wet Impregnation from Cerium Based Precursors

Alam BB, O’Toole AW, Matyi RJ and Brenner SA

Platinum (Pt) based catalysts are used in fuel cell applications for the high efficiency, low temperature and non-pollutant producing method of gas conversion, however the drawbacks to commercialization include the high cost, durability and reliability of the process. Ceria supported Pt catalyst is a more promising candidate in the low temperature water-gas shift reaction because such a supported catalyst not only reduces the cost and temperature, but also achieves a greater extent of reduction and promotes the catalytic functions of Pt. A facile wet impregnation method using chloroplatinic acid in combination with cerium based precursors, such as ceria from a sol-gel peroxo method and cerium (III) acetate hydrate, have been used to synthesize ceria supported Pt. Support characteristics such as size and agglomeration state vary according to the type of precursor used and affect Pt coverage on the support. In addition, the method using cerium (III) acetate does not require an initial thermal conversion step to ceria Pt coated the ceria independent of the crystallite size and agglomeration state of the particles, but the Pt coverage varied depending on the precursor used.