Preferential CO oxidation over Pt/3A zeolite catalysts in H2-rich gas for fuel cell application

Even traces of CO in the hydrogen-rich gas fed to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) poison the platinum anode electrode and dramatically decrease the cell power output. In this work, several 1%Pt catalysts, all on 3A-type zeolite support, were prepared starting from different precursors and employing different methods: cation exchange (CE), wet impregnation (WI) and incipient wetness impregnation (IWI). The catalysts were characterised in terms of platinum dispersion and tested under realistic conditions in the quest of a catalyst for the removal of CO via the CO preferential oxidation (CO-PROX) reaction. The best catalytic performance was shown by the 1%Pt–3A catalyst prepared by IWI starting from Pt(NH₃)₄Cl₂ as a precursor, thanks to its highest platinum dispersion.