Current status and perspectives of rare earth catalytic materials and catalysis

Rare earth elements possess 4f orbitals without full electron occupancy and lanthanide contraction. This characteristic results in their unique catalytic performance when they are used as active components or as catalyst supports. Research into and the development of rare earth catalytic materials will significantly promote the high-efficiency utilization of abundant rare earth elements, such as lanthanum and cerium. Currently, rare earth catalytic materials play an important role in such areas as the petroleum chemical industry, the catalytic combustion of fossil fuels, automotive emissions control, the purification of industrial waste air, and solid solution fuel cells. In this paper, we review the application of and recent research progress that has been made on rare earth catalytic materials, including relative theoretical research. The effects of rare earth elements on the structure, activity, and stability of the catalysts of interest are described.