The demand for a dual catalyst that
maintains high catalytic performance
at low temperatures for simultaneous propane and carbon monoxide (CO)
oxidation with repeated usage is significant, yet lacking in the literature.
Here, we report a mesoporous platinum–ruthenium (0.5 wt % Pt
and 0.5 wt % Ru)-doped ceria–zirconia bifunctional catalyst
achieving T
95 at ∼260 °C and T
100 below 300 °C for propane oxidation,
along with simultaneous 100% CO conversion at ∼200 °C.
The performance is maintained after accelerated aging at 1000 °C
for 24 h. The consistent superior performance over prolonged cycling
is multifaceted, contributed by an optimal balance among nanostructure,
metal oxide support/metal dopant system, and composition. The ceria–zirconia
support gives enhanced oxygen storage and release capabilities coupled
with thermal endurance. The porous catalyst has numerous catalytic
sites with short reaction paths doped with Pt–Ru nanoparticles,
leading to increased efficiency in bond cleavage for propane and endowing
CO tolerance. Nanosized particles with narrow size distribution and
uniform metal dispersion are effective in promoting catalytic activity
toward oxidation reactions at low temperatures. This catalyst is thermally
stable, durable, and active toward propane oxidation, and its catalytic
performance is not compromised by the simultaneous presence of CO.