Designed synthesis of Zr-based ceria-zirconia-neodymia composite with high thermal stability and its enhanced catalytic performance for Rh-only three-way catalyst

Developing advanced oxygen storage materials that deliver high thermal stability is crucial to meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations for three-way catalysts (TWCs). The surfactant, trialkylamine (N235, N (CnH2n+1), n = 8-10), was used to prepare the zirconium (Zr)-based ceria-zirconia-neodymia composites with loose morphology for the first time, and the effect of N235 on the properties of the ceria-zirconia-neodymia solid solution composites was investigated systematically. After thermal treatment at 1000 degrees C for 5 h in air, the obtained material (CZ/N235-1000) presented a high surface area of 31 m(2) g(-1) and had superior redox properties. As a support material in rhodium (Rh)-only TWCs, the prepared Rh/CZ/N235-f and Rh/CZ/N235-a demonstrated excellent catalytic performances. Particularly, after aging at 1000 degrees C for 5 h in air, the light off temperature (T-50%) of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide for Rh/CZ/N235-a were 229 degrees C and 235 degrees C, respectively, and were much lower than those (278 degrees C and 280 degrees C) of Rh/CZ-a in which the support material was synthesized without N235. Therefore, this work provides a simple and scalable synthesis route for advanced oxygen storage materials.