Oxidation catalyst for a diesel engine exhaust

1. An oxidation catalyst for treating an exhaust gas produced by a diesel engine comprising a catalytic region and a substrate, wherein the catalytic region comprises a catalytic material comprising:

iron (Fe) or an oxide thereof, having a mean particle size of 10 nm or greater;

a platinum group metal (PGM) selected from the group consisting of (i) platinum (Pt), (ii) palladium (Pd) and (iii) platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd); and

a support material, which is a refractory oxide comprising alumina;

wherein the platinum group metal (PGM) and the iron (Fe) or an oxide thereof is each supported on the support material.

2. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the refractory oxide is a mixed or composite oxide comprising alumina selected from the group consisting of silica-alumina, ceria-alumina, titania-alumina, zirconia-alumina and alumina-magnesia.

3. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the refractory oxide is alumina.

4. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the refractory oxide is a particulate refractory oxide, and the iron or an oxide thereof is dispersed over a surface of the particulate refractory oxide.

5. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the iron has a mean particle size of 15 nm or greater.

6. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic region comprises iron in an amount of 0.1 to 15.0% by weight.

7. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic region has a total loading of iron of 1 to 500 g ft 3 .

8. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the platinum group metal (PGM) is platinum (Pt).

9. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the platinum group metal (PGM) is platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd).

10. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic material comprises a ratio by weight of the platinum group metal (PGM) to iron (Fe) of 10:1 to 1:10.

11. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic region further comprises a hydrocarbon adsorbent material, which is a zeolite.

12. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic region is disposed on the substrate.

13. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic region is a first catalytic region and the oxidation catalyst further comprises a second catalytic region.

14. The oxidation catalyst of claim 13 , wherein the first catalytic region is a first catalytic layer and the second catalytic region is a second catalytic layer, and either (a) first catalytic layer is disposed on the second catalytic layer or (b) the second catalytic layer is disposed on the first catalytic layer.

15. The oxidation catalyst of claim 13 , wherein the first catalytic region is a first catalytic zone and the second catalytic region is a second catalytic zone, and wherein either (a) the first catalytic zone is disposed upstream of the second catalytic zone or (b) the second catalytic zone is disposed upstream of the first catalytic zone.

16. The oxidation catalyst of claim 13 , wherein the first catalytic region is disposed on the second catalytic region, and either (a) the second catalytic region is a second catalytic layer and the first catalytic region is a first catalytic zone, and wherein an entire length of the first catalytic zone is disposed on the second catalytic layer or (b) the second catalytic region is a second catalytic zone and the first catalytic region is a first catalytic zone or a first catalytic layer, and wherein the first catalytic zone or the first catalytic layer is disposed on the second catalytic zone.

17. The oxidation catalyst of claim 13 , wherein the second catalytic region is disposed on the first catalytic region, and either (a) the first catalytic region is a first catalytic layer and the second catalytic region is a second catalytic zone, and wherein an entire length of the second catalytic zone is disposed on the first catalytic layer or (b) the first catalytic region is a first catalytic zone and the second catalytic region is a second catalytic zone or a second catalytic layer, and wherein the second catalytic zone or the second catalytic layer is disposed on the first catalytic zone.

18. The oxidation catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a flow-through monolith or a filtering monolith.

19. An exhaust system for treating an exhaust gas produced by a diesel engine, wherein the exhaust system comprises the oxidation catalyst of claim 1 .