Rare-Earth Oxides of Manganese and Cobalt Rival Platinum for the Treatment of Carbon Monoxide in Auto Exhaust

Abstract

The perovskite-like compounds RE_1-XPb₅MnO₃ and RECoO₃, where RE (rare earth) is lanthanum, praseodymium, or neodymium, are active catalysts for the oxidation of carbon monoxide. Crushed single crystals of these compounds compare favorably with commercial platinum catalysts in initial activity and lifetime. Therefore, these compounds are promising substitutes for platinum in devices for the catalytic treatment of auto exhaust.