Synthesis effects on activity and stability of Pt-CeO2 catalysts for partial oxidation of methane

Abstract The objective of this study is to explore the effect of catalyst synthesis procedure on the activity of catalysts for partial oxidation of methane. In this aspect, Pt-nanoparticles supported CeO 2 catalysts were prepared by Hydrothermal, co-precipitation, impregnation and by controlled deposition of platinum nanoparticles on hydrothermally prepared cerium oxide. Prepared catalysts were characterized by BET-surface area, X-ray diffraction, H 2 -Chemisorption, Transmission electron microscopy, Temperature programmed reduction, Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The study revealed that the catalyst preparation procedure plays a very crucial role on morphology, catalyst particle size, metal support interaction and activity of the catalysts. Catalytic activities were tested for partial oxidation of methane in the temperature range 350–800 °C. The study revealed that the catalyst prepared by controlled deposition of Pt-nanoparticles on hydrothermally prepared cerium oxide showed better activity for partial oxidation of methane compared to the catalysts prepared by other conventional methods. Controlled deposition of Pt-nanoparticles generated better metal-support interaction compared to the catalysts prepared by conventional hydrothermal, co-precipitation and impregnation methods. All the catalysts showed excellent coke resisting ability but the deactivation of most of the catalyst was found to be caused by catalyst particles sintering and re-oxidation of the Pt particles during catalysis.