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A homogeneous ceria-based mixed-metal oxide, useful as a catalyst support, a co-catalyst and/or a getter has a relatively large surface area per weight, typically exceeding 150 m2/g, a structure of nanocrystallites having diameters of less than 4 nm, and including pores larger than the nanocrystalli

A homogeneous ceria-based mixed-metal oxide, useful as a catalyst support, a co-catalyst and/or a getter has a relatively large surface area per weight, typically exceeding 150 m2/g, a structure of nanocrystallites having diameters of less than 4 nm, and including pores larger than the nanocrystallites and having diameters in the range of 4 to about 9 nm. The ratio of pore volumes, VP, to skeletal structure volumes, VS, is typically less than about 2.5, and the surface area per unit volume of the oxide material is greater than 320 m2/cm3, for low internal mass transfer resistance and large effective surface area for reaction activity. The mixed metal oxide is ceria-based, includes Zr and or Hf, and is made by a novel co-precipitation process. A highly dispersed catalyst metal, typically a noble metal such as Pt, may be loaded on to the mixed metal oxide support from a catalyst metal-containing solution following a selected acid surface treatment of the oxide support. Appropriate ratioing of the Ce and other metal constituents of the oxide support contribute to it retaining in a cubic phase and enhancing catalytic performance. Rhenium is preferably further loaded on to the mixed-metal oxide support and passivated, to increase the activity of the catalyst. The metal-loaded mixed-metal oxide catalyst is applied particularly in water gas shift reactions as associated with fuel processing systems, as for fuel cells.

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What is claimed is: 1. A homogeneous, nanocrystalline, mixed metal oxide of cerium and at least one other metal constituent selected from the group consisting of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mo, W, Re, Rh, Sb, Bi, Ti, V, Mn, Co, Cu, Ga, Ca, Sr and Ba, said cer

What is claimed is: 1. A homogeneous, nanocrystalline, mixed metal oxide of cerium and at least one other metal constituent selected from the group consisting of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mo, W, Re, Rh, Sb, Bi, Ti, V, Mn, Co, Cu, Ga, Ca, Sr and Ba, said cerium being in the range of 40% to 85% by metals only atomic percent, said mixed metal oxide having a surface area of at least about 150 m 2/g, an average crystallite size less than 4 nm and agglomerated to form a skeletal structure with pores, average pore diameters being greater than 4 nm and less than about 9 nm and normally being greater than the average crystallite size, and wherein the surface area of the skeletal structure per volume of the mixed metal oxide is greater than about 320 m2/cm3. 2. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 1 wherein the skeletal structure with pores has a pore volume per unit mass, VP , and a structural volume per unit mass, VS, and wherein the ratio of VP to VS, (VP/VS), is less than about 2.5. 3. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 1 wherein, based on metals-only atomic percent, the sum of Ce and one or more optional constituents selected from the group consisting of La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mo, W, Re, Rh, Sb, Bi, V, Mn, Go, Cu, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ga is at least 60 percent and the sum of constituents selected from the group consisting of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, and Ti is 40 percent or less. 4. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 3 wherein, within the group of constituents consisting of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, and Ti, a sub-group consisting of Zr and Hf comprises 30% or greater and a sub-group consisting of Nb, Ta, and Ti comprises 10% or less. 5. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 1 wherein the at least one other metal constituent comprises up to 20 atomic percent, on a metals basis, of Bi. 6. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 1 wherein the at least one other metal constituent includes zirconium. 7. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 6 wherein the at least one other metal constituent is zirconium. 8. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 1 wherein the at least one other metal constituent includes hafnium. 9. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 8 wherein the at least one other metal constituent is hafnium. 10. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 1 wherein the surface area of the oxide is at least about 180 m2/g, the average crystallite size is equal to or less than 3.6 nm, and the average pore diameters are at least about 4.5 nm. 11. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 10 wherein the at least one other metal constituent is selected from the group consisting of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Re, Rh, Ti, V, Mn, and Co, the average crystallite size is less than 3.5 nm, and the average pore diameters are at least about 5.0 nm. 12. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 11 wherein, by metalsonly atomic percent, at least 10 percent of the mixed metal oxide is selected13 from the group consisting of Zr and Hf. 13. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 1 wherein the composition of the bulk mixed metal oxide is, on a metalsonly basis in addition to the cerium: one or more metal constituents selected from the group consisting of zirconium and hafnium, cumulatively between 15% and 60%; one or more optional constituents selected from the group consisting of Ti, Re, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Rh, Sb, Bi, V, Mn, Co, Cu, Ga, Ca, Sr, and Ba, cumulatively between 0% and 10%; and one or more optional constituents selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu, cumulatively between 0% and 10%. 14. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 13 wherein the cerium is between about 40% and 70%; and the one or more metal constituents selected from the group consisting of zirconium and hafnium are cumulatively between 25% and 60%. 15. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 14 wherein the one or more metal constituents selected from the group consisting of zirconium and hafnium are cumulatively greater than about 45%. 16. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 13 wherein the bulk mixed metal oxide is substantially entirely in the cubic phase. 17. The mixed metal oxide according to claim 15 wherein the bulk mixed metal oxide is substantially entirely in the cubic phase. 18. A process for the preparation of the mixed metal oxide as defined in claim 1, including the steps of: a. dissolving urea and salts of the Ce and the at least one other metal constituent in water to form a dilute metal salt solution; b. heating the solution to near boiling and coprecipitating homogeneously an oxide of the Ce and an oxide of the at least one other metal constituent as a nanocrystalline coprecipitate; c. replacing water existing in the coprecipitate with a water miscible, low surface-tension solvent that displaces water; d. drying the coprecipitate to remove substantially all of any remaining water and the solvent; and e. calcining the dried coprecipitate at a moderate temperature in the range of about 25° C. to about 600 ° C. for an interval sufficient to remove adsorbed impurities. 19. The process according to claim 18 including, following step b, the further step of maturing the coprecipitate in accordance with a thermal schedule. 20. The process according to claim 18 wherein the step d of drying the coprecipitate includes the step of refluxing the coprecipitate in a dry solvent in the presence of heat. 21. The process according to claim 18 wherein the water miscible, low surface tension solvent of step c is selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, a ketone, and an ester, each with 4 carbons or less. 22. The process according to claim 21 wherein the water miscible, low surface tension solvent is selected from the group consisting of dried 2-propanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and 1propanol. 23. The process according to claim 22 wherein the water miscible, low surface tension solvent is dried 2-propanol. 24. The process according to claim 18 including, following the step of coprecipitating the coprecipitate, the further step of isolating the coprecipitate from the solution. 25. The process according to claim 18 wherein the metal concentration in the dilute metal salt solution is less than about 0.16 mol/L. 26. The process according to claim 25 wherein the metal concentration in the dilute metal salt solution is less than about 0.02 mol/L. 27. The process according to claim 26 wherein the metal concentration in the dilute metal salt solution is less than about 0.016 mol/L. 28. The process according to claim 18 wherein the concentration of urea in the dilute metal salt solution is relatively high, being greater than about 0.5 mol/L. 29. The process according to claim 28 wherein the concentration of urea in the dilute metal salt solution is at least about 2.0 mol/L. 30. The process according to claim 19 wherein the step of maturing the coprecipitate includes boiling the solution for a first interval and allowing the solution to cool to ambient temperature during a second interval, the sum of the first and second intervals being less than about 72 hours. 31. The process according to claim 30 wherein the sum of the first and the second intervals is less than about 24 hours. 32. The process according to claim 31 wherein the first interval is in the range of six to ten hours and the second interval is less than about sixteen hours, and including a further step of stirring the solution throughout both the heating/coprecipitating step and the maturing step. 33. The process according to claim 18 wherein, following step b, there are included the further steps in which the coprecipitate is isolated from the solution and washed with water, and water remaining in the water-washed coprecipitate is replaced by washing the coprecipitate with the water miscible, low surface-tension solvent. 34. The process according to claim 33 wherein the water miscible, low surface tension solvent is selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, a ketone, and an ester, each with 4 carbons or less. 35. The process according to claim 34 wherein the water miscible, low surface tension solvent is selected from the group consisting of dried 2-propanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and 1-propanol. 36. The process according to claim 35 wherein the water miscible, low surface tension solvent is dried 2-propanol. 37. The process according to claim 33 wherein the step of washing the coprecipitate with the water miscible, low surface tension solvent comprises one or more washings initially at room temperature and the subsequent drying step includes refluxing the coprecipitate in a dry solvent in the presence of heat for an interval of less than about one hour. 38. The process according to claim 18 wherein the step of calcining the dried coprecipitate comprises heating the dried coprecipitate to a calcining temperature while flowing a gas in the presence of the dried coprecipitate. 39. The process according to claim 38 wherein the gas flowing in the presence of the dried coprecipitate during the calcining step is selected from the group consisting of air, N2, a mix of O2 and argon, a mix of H2 and argon, and CO2. 40. The process according to claim 39 wherein the gas flowing in the presence of the dried coprecipitate during the calcining step comprises CO2. 41. The process according to claim 39 wherein the gas flowing in the presence of the dried coprecipitate during the calcining step comprises a mixture of CO2 and dilute O2. 42. The process according to claim 39 wherein the gas flowing in the presence of the dried coprecipitate during the calcining step is initially CO2 followed by dilute O2. 43. The process according to claim 18 wherein the step of calcining the dried coprecipitate comprises heating the dried coprecipitate to a calcining temperature in the range of about 250°-600° C. over a period of one to about six hours. 44. The process according to claim 43 wherein the dried coprecipitate is heated to a calcining temperature in the range of about 350°-500° C. over a period of about two to about four hours. 45. The process according to claim 44 wherein the dried coprecipitate is heated to a calcining temperature while CO2 is flowed in the presence of the dried coprecipitate. 46. A process for the preparation of a mixed metal oxide of cerium and at least one other metal constituent, comprising the steps of: a. dissolving urea and salts of the Ce and the at least one other metal constituent in water to form a dilute metal salt solution; b. heating the solution to near boiling and coprecipitating homogeneously an oxide of the Ce and an oxide of the at least one other metal constituent as a nanocrystalline coprecipitate; c. replacing water existing in the coprecipitate with a water miscible, low surfacetension solvent that displaces water; d. drying the coprecipitate to remove substantially all of any remaining water and the solvent; and e. calcining the dried coprecipitate at a moderate temperature in the range of about 250° C. to about 600° C. for an interval sufficient to remove adsorbed impurities. 47. The process according to claim 46 wherein the step of calcining the dried coprecipitate comprises heating the dried coprecipitate to a calcining temperature in the range of about 350°-500° C. over a period of about two to four hours. 48. The process according to claim 46 wherein the step of calcining the dried coprecipitate comprises heating the dried coprecipitate to a calcining temperature while flowing a gas in the presence of the dried coprecipitate.