George P. Fotou

Diesel oxidation catalysts

The diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) has been part of diesel exhaust systems since regulations were introduced to limit the amount of harmful emissions released to the environment from diesel engines. The DOC primary functions are oxidation of CO, unburned hydrocarbons, and NO, while active hydrocarbon oxidation can also be used to generate exotherms required for downstream components. This review will describe work that has attempted to understand the reactions, both desired and undesired, that occur over the catalyst. First, the history, configuration, and components of the DOC will be discussed, followed by in-depth coverage of the fundamental reactions that occur over a DOC, including reaction mechanisms, reaction inhibition, and other reactivity effects. Finally, DOC deactivation mechanisms and their effects on the DOC are described. While there is a lot of research literature regarding Pt- and Pd-based catalysts for many different reaction schemes, this review tries to highlight work most relevant to DOC applications.