The role of Fe on PtPd oxidation catalyst prepared by simultaneous and sequential incipient wetnesses

The roles and effects of Fe on the catalytic performance and physicochemical properties of a PtPd diesel oxidation catalyst prepared by three different methods were investigated by CO oxidation reaction, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed oxidation, and BET surface area. It was found that the roles of Fe depended strongly on the sequential order of Fe introduction during the preparation of the PtPd catalyst. The Fe/PtPd/Al₂O₃ catalyst was prepared by introducing Fe onto the PtPd/Al₂O₃, and the PtPd/Fe/Al₂O₃ catalyst was obtained by loading the PtPd onto the Fe/Al₂O₃. The former had a superior activity. From the TPR results, the catalytic activity of CO oxidation was correlated with the oxygen mobility of the iron oxides. For PtPd/Fe/Al₂O₃, the iron interacted preferentially with the alumina support forming FeAlO₃, which resulted in the stabilization of the support and a reduction in the surface area. The major role of Fe was to promote the enhancement of the catalytic activity of PtPd through an intimate interaction between the PtPd and iron oxides, which had lattice oxygens to generate oxygen with oxidation abilities.