Investigation of ceria-containing aerogels for catalytic converter applicationss

Aerogels are solid materials with physical properties that make them appealing for automotive exhaust catalysis: they are highly porous with extremely low density and high surface area. The goal of a catalytic converter is to reduce the emitted level of poisonous gases such as CO and NO_x by converting those to less harmful gases. Current catalytic converter technology uses expensive metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. So, catalytic metal-containing aerogel can potentially be a less expensive alternative for use in the catalytic converters. Ceria-containing aerogels show promising results because ceria (cerium oxide) can undergo a rapid change in oxidation states. This change in oxidation state is important in oxygen storage for redox reactions that take place in the catalytic converter. The ceria-containing aerogels are fabricated using the rapid supercritical extraction method patented by Union College, and the catalytic testing is performed using the Union College Catalytic Aerogel Testbed, designed and built by Union College faculty and students. This presentation will describe the preparation and characterization of these novel materials.