Formation of BaMnO3 in Ba/MnOx–CeO2 catalyst upon the hydrothermal ageing and its effects on oxide sintering and soot oxidation activity

MnO x –CeO 2 mixed oxides were synthesized using a sol–gel method and the barium-loaded catalyst was prepared by a wet impregnation. Both catalysts were hydrothermally aged at 800   °C for 10   h. The fresh and aged catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), H 2 temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR), NO temperature-programmed oxidation (NO-TPO) and soot temperature-programmed oxidation (soot-TPO). Compared with MnO x –CeO 2 , the Ba-modified mixed oxides show a much higher hydrothermal stability. Barium exists in the form of orthorhombic carbonate and cubic nitrate on the fresh sample. BaMnO 3 nanoparticles are identified to form at the interface of CeO 2 crystallites upon the hydrothermal ageing. The formation of the perovskites prohibits the sintering of ceria significantly, and consequently maintains the redox property of the aged mixed oxides to a great degree. Additionally, the nanoscaled perovskites themselves also contribute to the catalytic activity of the aged oxides catalyst.