Abstract
Ruthenium based catalysts show excellent catalytic activity for several oxidation reactions, however, their thermal stability has been a challenge. We have been successful in stabilizing ruthenium in perovskite structure, which results in a remarkable improvement in its thermal stability. La3.5Ru4.0O13 lanthanum ruthenate type perovskite was prepared by using various methods, including co-precipitation as well as a template method, which resulted in improved physical properties. This perovskite phase was found to be thermally very stable, possibly due to the 4+ oxidation state of ruthenium in a stable matrix. In this work, we have studied the catalytic properties of La3.5Ru4.0O13 phase for CO and hydrocarbon oxidation reactions. The lanthanum ruthenate shows active CO oxidation beyond about 150 and 170 degrees C for propene oxidation. The thermal and chemical stability of this material makes it suitable for various catalytic applications, while relatively insignificant poisoning by SO2 is an important observation to further explore.