Effect of loading method on catalytic performance of Pt/CeO2 system for CO oxidation

The oxygen vacancies of CeO2 play a pivotal role in effectively dispersing and stabilizing noble metal nanoparticles (NPs). During the NPs loading process, the post-treatment condition, e.g. atmosphere, has a certain influence on the oxygen vacancy concentration of CeO2, highlighting the importance of suitable choice of loading technique. Herein, A-Pt/HCeO2 and I-Pt/HCeO2 catalysts are prepared by loading Pt NPs on HCeO2 with abundant oxygen vacancies (obtained from the calcination of a Ce(OH)CO3 precursor under H2) using ALD deposition and impregnation methods, respectively. Through detailed characterization and in situ DRIFTS analysis, it was noted that compared to the I-Pt/HCeO2 catalyst, the A-Pt/HCeO2 catalyst processes a uniform distribution of Pt NPs, more Pt0 active sites and oxygen vacancies, thus exhibiting an outstanding catalytic performance for CO oxidation. The ALD deposition technique mitigates the effects of high-temperature sintering and atmospheric exposure during the loading process of noble metal NPs, offering a more accurate assessment of the catalytic performance of catalysts.