XAFS study of Ce-enhanced stability of Pt/KL catalyst

The stability of the Pt/KL catalyst can be greatly enhanced by the presence of the rare earth Ce. The analysis of the X-ray absorption edges indicates that some electronic differences may indeed exist in the state of Pt supported on the Ce-KL compared to that on the unpromoted KL zeolite. Although the Pt particle size and location inside the zeolite is very similar in the two zeolites, the presence of the Ce seems to have influence on the electronic potential around Pt, which may be responsible for the observed enhanced stabilization of the small metal clusters. The presence of Ce in the zeolite also greatly affects the reducibility of Pt.