Mesoporous LaCoO3 perovskite oxide with high catalytic performance for NOx storage and reduction

A mesoporous LaCoO 3 perovskite oxide (LaCoO 3 -Meso) with three-dimensionally ordered helical interwoven structure was synthesized by a nano-casting method using KIT-6 as the hard template. The obtained LaCoO 3 -Meso with high surface area was tested for its catalytic performance in the NO x storage and reduction (NSR) reaction and compared with a sample synthesized by the conventional sol-gel method. The LaCoO 3 -Meso showed a significant advantage for NO x storage, with a NO x storage capacity 2 times higher than the regular sample. LaCoO 3 -Meso also exhibited improved NSR catalytic performance in the 150–450 °C temperature range, especially within 350–400 °C, where the NO x conversion was raised for 40%. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure measurements suggested the presence of a high concentration of oxygen defects on the LaCoO 3 -Meso surface. Further results provided by temperature programmed reduction and temperature programmed desorption indicated that the oxygen defects not only increase the amount of trapped NO x , but also improve the low-temperature redox performance of the catalyst. The lower stability of NO x species adsorbed on oxygen defects promotes the NO x release step in the NSR reaction and benefits the regeneration of storage sites.