A nanometric Rh overlayer on a metal foil surface as a highly efficient three-way catalyst

Pulsed arc-plasma (AP) deposition of an Rh overlayer on an Fe–Cr–Al stainless steel foil produced a composite material that exhibited high activity for automotive three-way catalysis (TWC). The AP pulses deposited metallic Rh nanoparticles 1–3 nm in size, whose density on the surface increased with the number of pulses. This led to coalescence and grain growth on the foil surface and the eventual formation of a uniform two-dimensional Rh overlayer. Full coverage of the 51 μm-thick flat foil by a 3.2 nm-thick Rh overlayer was achieved after 1,000 pulses. A simulated TWC reaction using a miniature honeycomb fabricated using flat and corrugated foils with the Rh overlayers exhibited successful light-off at a practical gaseous hourly space velocity of 1.2 × 10(5) h(−1). The turnover frequency for the NO–CO reaction over the metallic honeycomb catalyst was ca. 80-fold greater than that achieved with a reference Rh/ZrO(2)-coated cordierite honeycomb prepared using a conventional wet impregnation and slurry coating procedure. Despite the nonporosity and low surface area of the foil-supported Rh overlayer compared with conventional powder catalysts (Rh/ZrO(2)), it is a promising alternative design for more efficient automotive catalysts that use less Rh loading.