AseriesofCe0.5Fe0.30Zr0.20O2catalystswerepreparedbydifferentmethods(co-precipitationsmethod,citricacidsol-gelmethod,impregnationmethod,physicalmixedmethod,andhydrothermalmethod)andcharacterizedbyX-raydiffraction(XRD),Ramanspectroscopy,Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)andH2-TPRmeasurements.Potentialofthecatalystsinthesootoxidationwasevaluatedinatemperature-programmedoxidation(TPO)apparatus.TheresultsshowedthatalltheFe3+andZr4+wereincorporatedintocerialatticetoformapureCe-Fe-Zr-Osolidsolutionfortheco-precipitationsample,buttwokindsofFephasesexistedintheCe-Fe-Zr-Ocatalystspreparedbyothermethods:Fe3+incorporatedintoCeO2latticeanddispersedFe2O3clusters.ThefreeFe2O3clusterscouldimprovetheactivityofcatalystsforsootoxidationcomparingwiththepureCe-Fe-Zr-OsolidsolutionowingtothesynergeticeffectbetweenfreeFe2O3andsurfaceoxygenvacancies.Inaddition,theactivityofcatalystsstronglyreliedonthesurfacereducibilityoffreeFe2O3particles.HoldingbothabundantfreeFe2O3particlesandhighoxygenvacancyconcentration,thehydrothermalCe0.5Fe0.3Zr0.2O2catalystpresentedthelowestTi(251°C,ignitiontemperatureofsootoxidation)andTm(310°C,maximumoxidationratetemperature)forsootcombustion(withtight-contactbetweensootandcatalysts)amongthefivesamples.Evenafteragingat800°Cfor10h,theTiandTmwerestillrelativelylow,at273and361°C,respectively,indicatinghighcatalyticstability.
