Precious metal-support interaction in automotive exhaust catalysts

Precious metal-support interaction plays an important role in thermal stability and catalytic performance of the automotive exhaust catalysts. The support is not only a carrier for active compounds in catalysts but also can improve the dispersion of precious metals and suppress the sintering of precious metals at high temperature; meanwhile, noble metals can also enhance the redox performance and oxygen storage capacity of support. The mechanism of metal-support interactions mainly includes electronic interaction, formation of alloy and inward diffusion of metal into the support or covered by support. The form and degree of precious metal-support interaction depend on many factors, including the content of precious metal, the species of support and metal, and preparation methods. The research results about strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) gave a theory support for developing a kind of new catalyst with excellent performance. This paper reviewed the interaction phenomenon and mechanism of precious metals (Pt, Pd, Rh) and support such as Al2O3, CeO2, and CeO2-based oxides in automotive exhaust catalysts. The factors that affect SMSI and the catalysts developed by SMSI were also discussed.