Aerosol processing method for controlled coating of surface species to generate catalysts

A catalyst prepared by a process comprising the steps of:

• aerosolizing a catalyst support precursor mixture comprising a catalyst support precursor and a diluent;
• drying the aerosolized catalyst support precursor mixture to produce an aerosolized flow of catalyst support particles;
• heating a catalytically active compound precursor to produce a catalytically active compound precursor vapor, where the catalytically active compound precursor comprises one or more than one metals from Groups 6-10 of the IUPAC Periodic Table, and where the catalytically active compound precursor comprises an oxide of the one or more than one metals;
• contacting the aerosolized flow of catalyst support particles with the catalytically active compound precursor vapor;
• and
• condensing the catalytically active compound precursor to produce the catalyst comprising a catalytically active compound deposited on surfaces of the catalyst support particles,
• where the catalytically active compound deposited on surfaces of the catalyst support particles has an average crystalline size of less than or equal to 1 nanometer, where the average crystalline size is an average radius of particles of the catalytically active compound determined using Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS).