Palladium-Ceria Catalysts for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

Palladium-ceria catalysts combine the high intrinsic activity of palladium with the exceptional oxygen storage and release capacity of cerium oxide. The fluorite lattice of CeO₂ can accommodate oxygen vacancies, which dynamically supply active oxygen species to palladium sites and promote CO oxidation at temperatures as low as ambient. Palladium exists in mixed oxidation states (Pd⁰, Pd²⁺) that form metal–oxide interfacial sites, enabling rapid redox cycling essential to the CO → CO₂ transformation. Synthetic approaches—including wet impregnation, hydrothermal crystallisation and molten-salt routes—tune palladium dispersion, support morphology and defect concentration, thereby dictating activation energy, reaction mechanism and thermal stability. Advanced characterisation has revealed that Pd–O–Ce interfacial linkages and subsurface oxygen vacancies underpin fast oxygen transfer and high turnover rates. These catalysts address global challenges in automotive exhaust abatement, indoor air purification and fuel-cell gas clean-up, where low-temperature light-off, resistance to sintering and tolerance to poisons are paramount. Emerging directions focus on atomically dispersed palladium, engineered ceria nanoshapes and hybrid supports to further enhance activity, durability and selectivity under practical operating conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Palladium-Ceria Catalysts for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in palladium-ceria catalysts for carbon monoxide oxidation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Operando spectroscopy: Real-time spectroscopic analysis of catalysts under actual reaction conditions, tracking active species and intermediates.

Oxygen vacancy: A defect in the ceria lattice where an oxygen atom is missing, enhancing oxygen mobility and catalytic redox activity.

Redox property: The capacity of a material to undergo reversible oxidation and reduction, essential for catalytic reaction cycles.

PdxCe1−xO2−δ solid solution: A mixed oxide phase in which Pd ions substitute into the CeO₂ lattice, creating oxygen-deficient sites that facilitate oxygen transfer.

Metal–support interaction: Interfacial bonding and electronic effects between palladium species and ceria that govern dispersion, stability and catalytic behaviour.

References

1. Incorporation of square-planar Pd 2+ in fluorite CeO 2 : hydrothermal preparation, local structure, redox properties and stability. Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2015).
2. Synthesis of Ce1−xPdxO2−δ Solid Solution in Molten Nitrate. Catalysts (2020).
3. Operando Spectroscopy Unveils the Catalytic Role of Different Palladium Oxidation States in CO Oxidation on Pd/CeO2 Catalysts. Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2022).
4. Operando NAP-XPS Studies of a Ceria-Supported Pd Catalyst for CO Oxidation. Chemistry (2022).
5. Adsorption and Oxidation of CO on Ceria Nanoparticles Exposing Single-Atom Pd and Ag: A DFT Modelling. Materials (2021).