Dramatic effect of redox pre-treatments on the CO oxidation activity of Au/Ce sub(0.50)Tb sub(0.12)Zr sub(0.38)O sub(2-x) catalysts prepared by deposition-precipitation with urea: a nano-analytical and nano-structural study

Nano-structural and nano-analytical studies show that the dramatic difference in CO oxidation activity observed between two Au/Ce sub(0.50)Tb sub(0.12)Zr sub(0.38)O sub(2-x) samples prepared by deposition-precipitation with urea and further activated under oxidising or reducing conditions is due to the poisoning effect of a very thin layer of carbon grown on the pre-reduced catalyst.