An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas purification catalyst composition and an exhaust gas purification catalyst, each of which includes a pyrochlore-type CeO.sub.2—ZrO.sub.2-based complex oxide having an improved oxygen storage capacity (particularly, an improved oxygen storage capacity after being exposed to a high temperature environment), and, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an exhaust gas purification catalyst composition and an exhaust gas purification catalyst, each of which contains a pyrochlore-type CeO.sub.2—ZrO.sub.2-based complex oxide that contains Y and Mg and thus exhibits an excellent oxygen storage capacity (particularly, an excellent oxygen storage capacity after being exposed to a high temperature environment).

A method of manufacturing a catalyst article, the method comprising: providing a complex of a polyphenol and a PGM, the polyphenol comprising an ester functional group, the PGM comprising palladium; providing a support material; applying the complex to the support material to form a loaded support material; disposing the loaded support material on a substrate; and heating the loaded support material to form nanoparticles of the PGM on the support material.

A method of manufacturing a catalyst article, the method comprising: providing a complex of a polyphenol and a PGM, the PGM comprising rhodium and/or platinum, the polyphenol comprising an ester functional group; providing a support material; applying the complex to the support material to form a loaded support material; disposing the loaded support material on a substrate; and heating the loaded support material to form nanoparticles of the PGM on the support material.

The exhaust gas purification catalyst device includes an upper layer which includes first carrier particles and rhodium, and a lower layer which includes second carrier particles, and the upper layer includes a rhodium enriched area in the range a, from the upstream end in the exhaust gas flow to 50% of the upper layer length, and a range b from the upper layer top surface to 18 μm in the depth direction. The rhodium enriched area contains at least 50% and less than 100% of all the rhodium in the upper layer.

There is provided an exhaust gas purification device that shows a high HC removal performance under a condition in which a rich air-fuel mixture is introduced. The exhaust gas purification device includes a substrate, a first catalyst layer, and a second catalyst layer. The substrate includes an upstream end and a downstream end. The first catalyst layer is disposed on a surface of the partition wall in an upstream region including the upstream end of the substrate. The second catalyst layer is disposed inside the partition wall in a downstream region including the downstream end of the substrate. The first catalyst layer contains a first metal catalyst and alumina-zirconia composite oxide. The second catalyst layer contains a second metal catalyst.

The present invention provides an exhaust gas purification catalyst including an alkaline earth metal supported in a highly dispersed state on a porous carrier. A catalyst layer of the exhaust gas purification catalyst provided by the invention has an alkaline earth metal-supporting region including a porous carrier, a catalyst metal belonging to the platinum group, and a sulfate of at least one type of alkali earth metal supported on the porous carrier. In a cross-section of this region, a Pearson correlation coefficient R.sub.Ae/M is at least 0.5 as calculated using α and β for each pixel obtained by carrying out area analysis by FE-EPMA under conditions of pixel size of 0.34 μm×0.34 μm, and measured pixel number 256×256, and by measuring the characteristic X-ray intensity (α:cps) of the alkaline earth metal element (Ae) and the characteristic X-ray intensity (β:cps) of the main constituent element of the inorganic compound constituting the porous carrier for each pixel.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for releasing oxygen at a temperature lower than conventional means in an exhaust gas purification catalyst. A Ce—Zr composite oxide is provided, which has a crystallite diameter of 6.5 nm or less and a BET specific surface area of 90 m.sup.2/g or more.

The present invention provides an exhaust gas purification catalyst including a base material and a catalyst layer 20 that is arranged on the base material. The catalyst layer 20 includes a catalyst metal and a carrying material carrying the catalyst metal. The catalyst layer 20 satisfies below: (1) in a pore distribution curve measured by a mercury porosimeter, a peak for the largest pore volume exists within a range of a pore diameter equal to or more than 1 μm and not more than 10 μm; and (2) on an electron microscopy observation image (with a 1000-fold magnification) of a surface of the catalyst layer 20, when areas of a plurality of voids comprised in the electron microscopy observation image are respectively calculated, a standard deviation for the areas of the plurality of voids is not more than 30 μm.sup.2.

The present invention relates to a mixed oxide of aluminium, of zirconium, of cerium, of lanthanum and optionally of at least one rare-earth metal other than cerium and lanthanum that makes it possible to prepare a catalyst that retains, after severe ageing, a good thermal stability and a good catalytic activity. The invention also relates to the process for preparing this mixed oxide and also to a process for treating exhaust gases from internal combustion engines using a catalyst prepared from this mixed oxide.

The invention provides an oxygen storage material having high oxygen storage capacity and high thermal durability. The oxygen storage material of the invention has some of the La sites of La.sub.2CuO.sub.4 with a K.sub.2NiF.sub.4-type crystal structure replaced by Ce. The oxygen storage material may have the composition La.sub.(2.00-x)Ce.sub.xCuO.sub.4 (0.20≥×>0.00). The oxygen storage material may also have a precious metal supported. The precious metal may be Pt, Pd or Rh. The exhaust gas purification catalyst is an exhaust gas purification catalyst comprising an oxygen storage material according to the invention.