Deactivation mechanisms of Pt/Pd-based diesel oxidation catalysts

[Display omitted] ► The NO oxidation activity was directly linked to the size and surface composition of Pt–Pd alloy particles. ► Unlike the case for NO oxidation, the dependence of particle growth on the C3H6 oxidation performance was relatively weak. ► C3H6 light-off behavior was largely affected by the accumulation of sulfur compounds. Currently precious metal-based diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) containing platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) are most commonly used for the oxidation of hydrocarbon and NO in diesel exhaust hydrocarbon oxidation. The present work has been carried out to investigate the deactivation mechanisms of the DOC from its real-world vehicle operation by coupling its catalytic activity measurements with surface characterization including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A production Pt–Pd DOC was obtained after being aged on a vehicle driven for 135,000 miles in order to study its deactivation behavior. The performance of the vehicle-aged part was correlated with that of the simulated hydrothermal lab aged sample assuming that Pt–Pd sintering plays a major role in irreversible catalyst deactivation. In addition to the hydrothermal sintering, the deterioration of hydrocarbon and NO oxidation performance was caused by surface poisoning. The role of the various aging factors in determining long-term performance in mobile applications will be discussed.