ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Total oxidation of ethanol and toluene over ceria—zirconia supported platinum catalysts

Pavel Topka, Luděk Kaluža, and Jana Gaálová

Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., Rozvojová 2/135, 165 02 Praha 6, Czech Republic

E-mail: topka@icpf.cas.cz

Abstract: The effect of platinum loading (0.09–1.00 mass %) on the performance of ceria–zirconia supported catalysts in the total oxidation of ethanol and toluene in air was investigated. The introduction of platinum promoted the reduction of surface cerium and decreased the acidity of the catalysts. In ethanol oxidation, the temperature of 50 % conversion decreased with increasing platinum content. This increase in catalytic performance was more pronounced for the catalysts with 0.59 mass % and 1.00 mass % Pt. On the other hand, higher amount of by-products (mainly acetaldehyde) was observed at increased platinum loadings. For all catalysts, a correlation between their H₂-TPR profiles and catalytic performance was revealed. In toluene oxidation, only the catalysts with 0.59 mass % and 1.00 mass % Pt exhibited a lower temperature of 50 % conversion than pristine ceria–zirconia. The effect of platinum loading was less pronounced than in ethanol oxidation and a correlation between reduction behaviour and catalytic performance was not observed. The superior catalytic performance of the catalysts with 0.59 mass % and 1.00 mass % of Pt in both ethanol and toluene oxidation was ascribed to the presence of large platinum nanoparticles, which were not observed at lower Pt loadings.

Keywords: oxidation – volatile organic compounds – platinum – ceria–zirconia mixed oxide – ethanol – toluene

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2016-0028

Chemical Papers 70 (7) 898–906 (2016)