XAS characterization and CO oxidation on zirconia-supported lafeo3 perovskite.

ZrO2-supported La, Fe containing catalysts were prepared by impregnation of tetragonal ZrO2 with citrate-type precursors and calcination at 1073 K. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and BET specific surface area (SA) determination. The catalytic activity towards CO oxidation was tested in the range 400-900 K. XRD revealed the presence of tetragonal zirconia with traces of the monoclinic phase. LaFeO3 perovskite was detected for La, Fe loading higher than 6%. XAS suggested that LaFeO3 was formed at lower loading too. The catalytic investigation evidenced that the presence of Fe is necessary for making highly active catalysts, whose performance improves with increasing the iron content.