Abstract: Iron compound particles comprise a ?-FeOOH crystal phase and a metal element other than Fe with which the ?-FeOOH crystal phase is doped, wherein the metal element other than Fe is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of elements of Al as well as 3d and 4d transition metals belonging to periodic table Groups 4 to 12 other than Fe, an atomic ratio of the metal element other than Fe to the Fe element (metal element other than Fe/Fe element) is 0.001 to 0.5, and the iron compound particles satisfy at least one of the following requirements (A) and (B): (A) having a crystallite diameter of 1 to 60 nm when measured by X-ray diffraction; and (B) having an average particle diameter of 1 to 600 nm when measured by dynamic light scattering in a solvent.

Abstract: A porous composite metal oxide, including a mixture of first ultrafine particles containing alumina and second ultrafine particles containing zirconia, wherein the first ultrafine particles and the second ultrafine particles are uniformly dispersed in such a way as to satisfy a condition that standard deviations of content ratios (% by mass) of all metal elements contained in the porous composite metal oxide at 0.1% by mass or more are each 10 or less, the standard deviations being obtained by measuring content ratios of the metal elements at 100 measurement points within a minute analysis region of 20 nm square by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration correction function.

Abstract: A ceria-zirconia composite oxide includes at least one of lanthanum, yttrium, and praseodymium. A rate of a total content of the at least one rare earth element to a total content of cerium and zirconium is 0.1 at % to 4.0 at %. A content of the rare earth element present in near-surface regions, which are at a distance of less than 50 nm from surfaces of primary particles of the ceria-zirconia composite oxide, accounts for 90 at % or more of the total content of the rare earth element. An average particle size of the primary particles of the ceria-zirconia composite oxide is 2.2 ?m to 4.5 ?m. After a predetermined durability test, the intensity ratio I(14/29) of a diffraction line at 2?=14.5° to a diffraction line at 2?=29° and the intensity ratio I(28/29) of a diffraction line at 2?=28.5° to the diffraction line at 2?=29° respectively satisfy the following conditions: I(14/29)?0.02, and I(28/29)?0.08.

Abstract: A catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas includes a porous composite metal oxide, the porous composite metal oxide containing alumina, ceria, and zirconia and having an alumina content ratio of from 5 to 80% by mass, wherein after calcination in the air at 1100° C. for 5 hours, the porous composite metal oxide satisfies a condition such that standard deviations of content ratios (as at % unit) of aluminum, cerium and zirconium elements are each 19 or less with respect to 100 minute areas (with one minute area being 300 nm in length×330 nm in width) of the porous composite metal oxide, the standard deviation being determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration corrector.

Abstract: A ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide containing a composite oxide of ceria and zirconia is provided, in which primary particles having a particle diameter of 1.5 to 4.5 ?m account for, on a particle number basis, at least 50% of all primary particles in the ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide, and the molar ratio of cerium to zirconium in the ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide is between 43:57 and 55:45.

Abstract: A ceria-zirconia base composite oxide contains a composite oxide of ceria and zirconia. In the ceria-zirconia base composite oxide, a content ratio between cerium and zirconium in the composite oxide is in a range from 43:57 to 48:52 in terms of molar ratio ([cerium]:[zirconium]). An intensity ratio of a diffraction line at 2?=14.5° to a diffraction line at 2?=29° {I(14/29) value} and an intensity ratio of a diffraction line at 2?=28.5° to the diffraction line at 2?=29° {I(28/29) value}, which are calculated from an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by an X-ray diffraction measurement using CuKa after heating under a temperature condition of 1100° C. in air for 5 hours, respectively satisfy the following conditions: I(14/29) value?0.015, and I(28/29) value?0.08.

Abstract: A ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide including a composite oxide containing ceria and zirconia, wherein the ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of praseodymium, lanthanum, and yttrium in an amount of 0.5 to 5.0 mol % relative to a total amount of the cations contained in the ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide, where the ratio of the content of both cerium and the at least one member selected from the group consisting of praseodymium, lanthanum, and yttrium in the ceria-zirconia-based composite oxide to the content of zirconium therein ([cerium and the at least one member selected from the group consisting of praseodymium, lanthanum, and yttrium]:[zirconium]) is in the range of 43:57 to 48:52 by mole ratio.

Abstract: A catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas includes a porous composite metal oxide, the porous composite metal oxide containing alumina, ceria, and zirconia and having an alumina content ratio of from 5 to 80% by mass, wherein after calcination in the air at 1100° C. for 5 hours, the porous composite metal oxide satisfies a condition such that standard deviations of content ratios (as at % unit) of aluminum, cerium and zirconium elements are each 19 or less with respect to 100 minute areas (with one minute area being 300 nm in length×330 nm in width) of the porous composite metal oxide, the standard deviation being determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration corrector.

Abstract: A method of synthesizing metal composite oxide, the method including: a step of separately introducing into a high-speed stirring apparatus a ceria composite oxide microparticle colloid having a mean particle diameter of 10 nm or less after adding a dispersant and an alumina microparticle colloid having a mean particle diameter of 10 nm or less after adding a dispersant; a step of synthesizing alumina-ceria composite oxide microparticles by allowing the ceria composite oxide microparticles and the alumina microparticles that have been introduced into the high-speed stirring apparatus to react in a microscopic space; and a step of applying a shearing force of 17000 sec?1 or more to the alumina-ceria composite oxide microparticles.

Abstract: A catalyst deterioration diagnosis method for diagnosing deterioration of a catalyst for purification of exhaust gas by using a test catalyst disposed in an exhaust gas flow path through which the exhaust gas flows, the method including an exhaust gas control step of inverting an air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas in the flow path from a lean side to a rich side or from a rich side to a lean side; a measurement step of measuring a change over time in electrical resistance of the test catalyst at the inversion of the air-fuel ratio and finding a resistance change ratio of the test catalyst; and a determination step of determining catalytic deterioration of the test catalyst based on the resistance change ratio.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying catalyst that contains a first oxygen storage material on which no noble metal is supported and which has a pyrochlore phase type regular array structure, and a second oxygen storage material which has a higher oxygen storage rate and a lower oxygen storage capacity than the first oxygen storage material and on which a platinum group noble metal is supported.

Abstract: A ceria-zirconia base composite oxide contains a composite oxide of ceria and zirconia. In the ceria-zirconia base composite oxide, a content ratio between cerium and zirconium in the composite oxide is in a range from 43:57 to 48:52 in terms of molar ratio ([cerium]: [zirconium]). An intensity ratio of a diffraction line at 2?=14.5° to a diffraction line at 2?=29° {I(14/29) value} and an intensity ratio of a diffraction line at 2?=28.5° to the diffraction line at 2?=29° {I(28/29) value}, which are calculated from an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by an X-ray diffraction measurement using CuKa after heating under a temperature condition of 1100° C. in air for 5 hours, respectively satisfy the following conditions: I(14/29)value?0.015, and I(28/29)value?0.08.

Abstract: A catalyst for purification of automobile exhaust gas comprising: a support and rhodium supported on the support in an atomic state, wherein an amount of the rhodium supported is 0.05 to 0.30% by mass relative to the total amount of the support and the rhodium, 50 at. % or more of the rhodium is supported on the support as two-atom clusters of rhodium, and an average distance between adjacent ones of the two-atom clusters is 1.0 nm or more.

Abstract: A method of synthesizing metal composite oxide, the method including: a step of separately introducing into a high-speed stirring apparatus a ceria composite oxide microparticle colloid having a mean particle diameter of 10 nm or less after adding a dispersant and an alumina microparticle colloid having a mean particle diameter of 10 nm or less after adding a dispersant; a step of synthesizing alumina-ceria composite oxide microparticles by allowing the ceria composite oxide microparticles and the alumina microparticles that have been introduced into the high-speed stirring apparatus to react in a microscopic space; and a step of applying a shearing force of 17000 sec?1 or more to the alumina-ceria composite oxide microparticles.

Abstract: A porous composite metal oxide, including a mixture of first ultrafine particles containing alumina and second ultrafine particles containing zirconia, wherein the first ultrafine particles and the second ultrafine particles are uniformly dispersed in such a way as to satisfy a condition that standard deviations of content ratios (% by mass) of all metal elements contained in the porous composite metal oxide at 0.1% by mass or more are each 10 or less, the standard deviations being obtained by measuring content ratios of the metal elements at 100 measurement points within a minute analysis region of 20 nm square by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration correction function.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying catalyst that contains a first oxygen storage material on which no noble metal is supported and which has a pyrochlore phase type regular array structure, and a second oxygen storage material which has a higher oxygen storage rate and a lower oxygen storage capacity than the first oxygen storage material and on which a platinum group noble metal is supported.

Abstract: A catalyst for purification of automobile exhaust gas comprising: a support and rhodium supported on the support in an atomic state, wherein an amount of the rhodium supported is 0.05 to 0.30% by mass relative to the total amount of the support and the rhodium, 50 at. % or more of the rhodium is supported on the support as two-atom clusters of rhodium, and an average distance between adjacent ones of the two-atom clusters is 1.0 nm or more.

Abstract: A method of producing a porous composite metal oxide comprising the steps of: dispersing first metal oxide powder, which is an aggregate of primary particles each with a diameter of not larger than 50 nm, in a dispersion medium by use of microbeads each with a diameter of not larger than 150 ?m, thus obtaining first metal oxide particles, which are 1 nm to 50 nm in average particle diameter, and not less than 80% by mass of which are not larger than 75 nm in diameter; dispersing and mixing up, in a dispersion medium, the first metal oxide particles and second metal oxide powder, which is an aggregate of primary particles each with a diameter of not larger than 50 nm, and which is not larger than 200 nm in average particle diameter, thus obtaining a homogeneously-dispersed solution in which the first metal oxide particles and second metal oxide particles are homogeneously dispersed; and drying the homogeneously-dispersed solution, thus obtaining a porous composite metal oxide.

Abstract: A composite oxide includes CeO2, ZrO2 and a metallic oxide being free from reacting with CeO2 and ZrO2 at 700° C. or more, preferably at 900° C. or more and further preferably at 1,000° C. or more. The composite oxide has a regulatory oriented phase, such as a pyrochlore phase, etc., in which at least a part of Ce cations and Zr cations are oriented regularly. The composite oxide makes a catalytic support. The CeO2—ZrO2 composite oxide and the reaction-free metallic oxide make barriers each other which suppress the granular growth when the composite oxide is subjected to high-temperature heat in a reducing heat treatment to form the regulatory oriented phase. The regulatory oriented phase improves the oxygen storage-and-release capability of the catalytic support. Thus, it is possible to simultaneously attain a large a specific surface area and a high oxygen storage-and-release capability.

Abstract: A metal oxide which has a large pore volume, and is very useful as a catalyst support. An alkaline material is added to an aqueous solution in which a compound of a metal element for composing an oxide is dissolved, a resultant mixture is co-precipitated, an obtained precipitate is washed, a washed precipitate is stirred in water along with a surfactant, and is calcined. By adding the surfactant after washing, the pH is not changed so that the adding effect of the surfactant is achieved to its upper most limit, thereby obtaining a metal oxide which has a large pore volume and a large mean diameter of secondary particles, and exhibits excellent gas diffusion properties.