Transformation of a Pt–CeO2 Mechanical Mixture of Pulsed‐Laser‐Ablated Nanoparticles to a Highly Active Catalyst for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

Abstract

AbstractThe pulsed laser ablation (PLA) in alcohol and water media was employed to prepare Pt and CeO2 PLA‐nanoparticles of different sizes and degrees of defectiveness. Interactions of metallic platinum and ceria particles were studied using the thermal activation of Pt–CeO2 mechanical mixtures in the CO+O2 reaction medium or O2 atmosphere. The thermal activation resulted in oxidized Pt2+/Pt4+ states of platinum in the surface solid solutions PtCeOx and/or PtOx clusters. Catalysts formed after calcination of the PLA‐ablated Pt–CeO2 mixtures in oxygen at 450–600 °C revealed CO conversion at very low temperatures up to 70 % depending on the conditions of PLA particles preparation and thermal activation of Pt–CeO2 mechanical mixture.