Paper Title
EFFECT OF MODIFICATION ON THE STRONG METAL-SUPPORT INTERACTION (SMSI) IN CATALYST ACTIVITY

Abstract
Modern society's rapid industrialization necessitates substantial energy consumption, primarily from fossil fuels, leading to significant environmental pollution. Nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions, particularly from power plants and automobiles, have severe ecological and health impacts, including greenhouse effects, visibility impairment, and acid rain. Nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas contributing to ozone depletion, is primarily emitted from chemical industries and fossil fuel combustion. Effective N2O control technologies include catalytic decomposition, which is highly efficient and low in energy consumption. Among various catalysts, Rh/CeO2 has demonstrated superior activity in N2O decomposition due to its high reducibility. This study focuses on Rh/CeO2based catalysts, specifically examining the effects of La addition on catalytic performance. Rh/CeO2, used as a catalyst for N2O decomposition, was modified by altering the support to enhance its performance, resulting in the production of Rh/La2O3–CeO2. Rh/CeO2 and Rh/La2O3–CeO2 catalysts were prepared by impregnation with Rh(NO3)3•H2O and RhCl3. It was confirmed that the degree of N2O decomposition increased in proportion to the Rhodium (Rh) content. Catalytic activities were evaluated using a continuous-flow fixed-bed reactor. Characterization of the catalysts was conducted through BET, XPS, XRD, and H2-TPR analyses. Results indicated that Rh(NO3)3•H2O as a precursor provided higher N2O conversion rates compared to RhCl3, which left residual chloride on the catalyst surface, reducing activity. Increased Rh content enhanced catalytic activity. However, the addition of La to Rh/CeO2 decreased performance due to the weakened strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) effect between Rh and CeO2. In Rh/La2O3–CeO2 catalysts, the N2O decomposition rate decreased as the La content increased. H2-TPR analysis showed reduced Rh dispersion with increasing La content, corroborated by decreased specific surface area measurements.In conclusion, while Rh/CeO2 catalysts without La addition exhibited excellent Rh dispersion and catalytic activity, La addition negatively impacted performance by weakening the SMSI effect between Rh and CeO2. Keywords - N2O Decomposition, Rh, CeO2, Loading, SMSI.