Doped catalyst support materials having oxygen storage capacity (OSC) and method of making thereof

1. A catalyst support material with oxygen storage capacity, the catalyst support material comprising:

ceria-zirconia; the ceria-zirconia having oxygen storage capacity;

an interactive promoter (M) for oxygen storage;

an aluminum oxide support;

a stabilizer (L) for the aluminum oxide support; and

an oxidizing dopant (D); wherein D is selected as an alkaline earth oxide or a transition metal oxide;

wherein the catalyst support material (D-CZMLA) has the formula F-1:

v D: x (Ce 1-w Zr w O 2 ): y M: z L:(1- v - x - y - z )Al 2 O 3   (F-1)

in which w is a molar ratio between 0.1 and about 0.8; and v, x, y, and z are weight ratios, such that v is in the range of 0.005 to 0.15; x is within the range of about 0.05 to about 0.80, while y is within the range of 0.001 to about 0.10 and z is within the range of 0.001 to about 0.10;

wherein the support material further comprises a catalyst support core powder having a formula F-2:

v D: x 1 (Ce 1-w Zr w O 2 ): y 1 M: z L:(1- v - x - y - z )Al 2 O 3   (F-2)

and a solid solution coated onto the core powder having a formula F-3:

x 2 (Ce 1-w Zr w O 2 ): y 2 M  (F-3)

wherein x 2 =x−x 1 and y 2 =y−y 1 and in which 0.2≤x 1 /x≤0.8 and 0.2≤y 1 /y≤0.8.

2. The catalyst support material of claim 1 , in which the combined weight percentage range of the dopant, the ceria-zirconia, the interactive promoter, and the stabilizer (v+x+y+z) is from about 5 to about 80 wt. % relative to the total oxides in the support material.

3. The catalyst support material of claim 1 , wherein M and L are independently selected as a rare earth oxide.

4. The catalyst support material of claim 3 , wherein D is an oxide of copper, cobalt, iron, nickel, titanium, vanadium, strontium, barium, or a mixture thereof.

5. The catalyst support material of claim 3 , wherein M and L are compositionally different from one another.

6. The catalyst support material of claim 3 , wherein M is lanthanum oxide, L is yttrium oxide, and D is copper oxide.

7. The catalyst support material of claim 1 , wherein the ceria-zirconia exhibits a cubic or tetragonal phase and the alumina exhibits a weak gamma phase.

8. The catalyst support material of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support material has a fresh specific surface area (SSA) of greater than 80 m 2 /g.

9. The catalyst support material of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support material has a specific surface area (SSA) of greater than 45 m 2 /g when hydrothermal aged at 1,000° C.

10. The catalyst support material of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support material has a specific surface area (SSA) of greater than 20 m 2 /g when hydrothermal aged at 1,100° C.

11. The catalyst support material of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support material has a particle size (D 50 ) in the range of 1 to 100 microns.

12. A wash coat for a catalyst having high thermal stability and oxygen storage capacity (OSC) for use in an automobile engine exhaust converter, the wash coat comprising:

at least one platinum group metal (PGM);

an adhesive; and

a mixture of catalyst supports according to the formula F-5:

(α)RE-Ce-ZrO 2 +(β)D-CZMLA+(1-α-β)RE-Al 2 O 3   (F-5)

wherein, RE-Ce—ZrO 2 is an OSC material of rare earth elements stabilized ceria zirconia having a weight ratio (α) ranging from 0 to about 0.7; D-CZMLA is a doped catalyst support material having a weight ratio (β) ranging from about 0.2 to about 1 such that (α+β)≤1; and RE-Al 2 O 3 is a rare earth elements stabilized alumina support having a weight ratio equal to (1-α-β);

wherein the composition of the D-CZMLA comprises:

ceria-zirconia; the ceria-zirconia having oxygen storage capacity;

an interactive promoter (M) for oxygen storage;

an aluminum oxide support;

a stabilizer (L) for the aluminum oxide support; and

an oxidizing dopant (D); wherein D is selected as an alkaline earth oxide or a transition metal oxide;

wherein the catalyst support material (D-CZMLA) has the formula F-1:

v D: x (Ce 1-w Zr w O 2 ): y M: z L:(1- v - x - y - z )Al 2 O 3   (F-1)

in which w is a molar ratio between 0.1 and about 0.8; and v, x, y, and z are weight ratios, such that v is in the range of 0.005 to 0.15; x is within the range of about 0.05 to about 0.80, while y is within the range of 0.001 to about 0.10 and z is within the range of 0.001 to about 0.10;

wherein the support material further comprises a catalyst support core powder having a formula F-2:

v D: x 1 (Ce 1-w Zr w O 2 ): y 1 M: z L:(1- v - x - y - z )Al 2 O 3   (F-2)

and a solid solution coated onto the core powder having a formula F-3:

x 2 (Ce 1-w Zr w O 2 ): y 2 M  (F-3)

wherein x 2 =x−x 1 and y 2 =y−y 1 and in which 0.2 x 1 /x≤0.8 and 0.2≤y 1 /y≤0.8.

13. The wash coat of claim 12 , wherein the wash coat has an activation temperature that is at least 35% lower than the activation temperature of a similar wash coat formulation that does not include the dopant.

14. The wash coat of claim 13 , wherein the wash coat has an activation temperature that is at least 50% lower than the activation temperature of a similar wash coat formulation that does not include the dopant.

15. The wash coat of claim 12 , wherein the weight percentage range of ceria-zirconia, interactive promoter, and stabilizer (x+y+z) in the D-CZMLA is from about 5 to about 80 wt. % relative to the total oxides in the D-CZMLA;

M and L in the D-CZMLA are independently chosen as a rare earth metal oxide.

16. The wash coat of claim 12 , wherein M and L in the D-CZMLA are compositionally different from one another.

17. The wash coat of claim 12 , wherein the D-CZMLA is formed by a method comprising:

providing a basic solution of an aluminum oxide precursor;

providing an acidic solution, the acidic solution including precursors to the cerium zirconia, the interactive promoter, the dopant, and the stabilizer;

mixing the basic solution and the acidic solution together to form a neutralized solution;

allowing the neutralized solution to further mix at a predetermined temperature causing a precipitate to form;

filtering the neutralized solution to collect the precipitate;

washing the precipitate to remove soluble impurities;

adding the precipitate to water to form a slurry;

spray drying the slurry to obtain the catalyst support core powder;

calcining the catalyst support core powder at a predetermined temperature; and

optionally, coating a solid solution onto the catalyst support core powder.

18. The wash coat of claim 17 , wherein the method further includes the step of adding at least one surfactant to the slurry, the surfactant selected as one from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl amine, polyethylene glycol-200 (PEG-200), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), ethanol, and melamine, or combination thereof.