In situ DRIFTS-MS studies on the oxidation of adsorbed NH3 by NOx over a Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite

One-Pot Synthesis of Ce-SSZ-39 Zeolite with Performance in the NH3-SCR Reaction

Cu-SSZ-39 zeolite with 8-membered rings is regarded as a very promising catalyst in the NH3-SCR reaction, but its hydrothermal stability still remains to be improved. One of the solutions to promote hydrothermal stability is the insertion of rare earth elements in the product. Nevertheless, normal ion exchange of rare earth elements limits their contents in the zeolite product due to their large hydrated ionic radius and alkaline environment under hydrothermal conditions. Herein, we for the first time present a new method for the one-pot synthesis of Ce-SSZ-39 zeolite under solvent-free conditions. The key to success is the use of Ce-FAU zeolite as a precursor. The obtained product shows good crystallinity, sheet-like morphology, large BET surface area, and 4-coordinated Al species. Detailed investigations illustrate that Ce species in the Cu/Ce-SSZ-39 zeolite micropore can prevent the dealumination and thus formation of CuAlOx species during hydrothermal aging at 850 °C for 16 h, giving the excellent hydrothermal stability and thus showing the excellent catalytic performance in the NH3-SCR reaction. One-pot synthesis of Ce-SSZ-39 zeolite with excellent catalytic performance might open a new door for developing very efficient selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts in near future.

Improving Copper Active Site Speciation on Cu-Ce/SSZ-13 for Ammonia Oxidation via Si/Al Ratio Modulation

Catalytic oxidation is a promising purification technique for ammonia (NH3) emission. However, high ignition temperatures and NOx peroxide generation limit its effectiveness due to a lack of active sites. Herein, the effects of Si/Al ratio (SAR) modulation on the speciation of copper active sites and the reaction mechanism at different acidic sites were investigated by loading CuO-CeO2 onto SSZ-13 with different SARs (Cu-Ce/SAR15, 20, and 30). Among them, Cu-Ce/SAR20 exhibits the lowest induction temperature (T20 = 180 °C) and the highest nitrogen selectivity (above 95%), attributing to a higher number of Cu2+ exchange sites. In situ IR spectroscopy and isotopic (18O2) transient response experiments indicate that more active Cu2+ in Cu-Ce/SAR20 provides sufficient Lewis acidic sites for NH3 adsorption and favors the stability of Si-OH-Al structures (Brønsted acid sites). NH3 adsorbed at Lewis acidic sites tends to form peroxide byproducts (NOx), while the NH4+ adsorbed at Brønsted acidic sites generates the key intermediate NH4NO2, which decomposes to N2 at high temperatures, thus enhancing nitrogen selectivity. The whole process mainly follows the Mars-van Krevelen (M-K) mechanism, with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism playing a supporting role. Z2Cu2+ coordinates with adjacent Al atoms within the six-membered ring (6MR) and undergoes a slight deformation at high temperatures, facilitating the migration of the lattice oxygen. SAR plays a crucial role in local environmental speciation of reactive Cu2+, where the sufficient isolated Al provided in SAR20 pulls Cu2+ into the eight-membered ring (8MR), allowing it to come into contact with NH3 more readily.

Boosting the catalytic performance of Cu-SAPO-34 in NOx removal via hydrothermal treatment

Phosphate ions promoted Cu-SAPO-34 (P-Cu-SAPO-34) were prepared using bulk CuO particles as Cu2+ precursor by a solid-state ion exchange technique for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR). The effects of high temperature (H-T) hydrothermal aging on the NOx removal (de-NOx) performance of Cu-SAPO-34 with and without phosphate ions were systematically investigated at atomic level. The results displayed that both Cu-SAPO-34 and P-Cu-SAPO-34 presented relatively poor NOx removal activity with a low conversion (< 30%) at 250-500°C. However, after H-T hydrothermal treatment (800°C for 10 hr at 10% H2O), these two samples showed significantly satisfied NOx elimination performance with a quite high conversion (70%-90%) at 250-500°C. Additionally, phosphate ions decoration can further enhance the catalytic performance of Cu-SAPO-34 after hydrothermal treatment (Cu-SAPO-34H). The textural properties, morphologies, structural feature, acidity, redox characteristic, and surface-active species of the fresh and hydrothermally aged samples were analyzed using various characterization methods. The systematical characterization results revealed that increases of 28% of the isolated Cu2+ active species (Cu2+-2Z, Cu (OH)+-Z) mainly from bulk CuO and 50% of the Brønsted acid sites, the high dispersion of isolated Cu2+ active component as well as the Brønsted acid sites were mainly responsible for the accepted catalytic activity of these two hydrothermally aged samples, especially for P-Cu-SAPO-34H.

Quantitative Contribution of Oxygen Vacancy Defects to Arsenate Immobilization on Hematite

Hematite is a common iron oxide in natural environments, which has been observed to influence the transport and fate of arsenate by its association with hematite. Although oxygen vacancies were demonstrated to exist in hematite, their contributions to the arsenate immobilization have not been quantified. In this study, hematite samples with tunable oxygen vacancy defect (OVD) concentrations were synthesized by treating defect-free hematite using different NaBH4 solutions. The vacancy defects were characterized by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), thermogravimetric mass spectrometry (TG-MS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results revealed that oxygen vacancy was the primary defect type existing on the hematite surface. TG-MS combined with EPR analysis allowed quantification of OVD concentrations in hematite. Batch experiments revealed that OVDs had a positive effect on arsenate adsorption, which could be quantitatively described by a linear relationship between the OVD concentration (Cdef, mmol m-2) and the enhanced arsenate adsorption amount caused by defects (ΔQm, μmol m-2) (ΔQm = 20.94 Cdef, R2 = 0.9813). NH3-diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (NH3-DRIFT) analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that OVDs in hematite were beneficial to the improvement in adsorption strength of surface-active sites, thus considerably promoting the immobilization of arsenate.

Interplay between copper redox and transfer and support acidity and topology in low temperature NH3-SCR

Low-temperature standard NH₃-SCR over copper-exchanged zeolite catalysts occurs on NH₃-solvated Cu-ion active sites in a quasi-homogeneous manner. As key kinetically relevant reaction steps, the reaction intermediate Cu^II(NH₃)₄ ion hydrolyzes to Cu^II(OH)(NH₃)₃ ion to gain redox activity. The Cu^II(OH)(NH₃)₃ ion also transfers between neighboring zeolite cages to form highly reactive reaction intermediates. Via operando electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and SCR kinetic measurements and density functional theory calculations, we demonstrate here that such kinetically relevant steps become energetically more difficult with lower support Brønsted acid strength and density. Consequently, Cu/LTA displays lower Cu atomic efficiency than Cu/CHA and Cu/AEI, which can also be rationalized by considering differences in their support topology. By carrying out hydrothermal aging to eliminate support Brønsted acid sites, both Cu^II(NH₃)₄ ion hydrolysis and Cu^II(OH)(NH₃)₃ ion migration are hindered, leading to a marked decrease in Cu atomic efficiency for all catalysts.

Destructive and Protective Effects of NH3 on the Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Stability of SAPO-34 and Cu-SAPO-34

The influences of gaseous, weakly adsorbed, and strongly adsorbed NH₃ on the low-temperature (<100 °C) hydrothermal stability of SAPO-34 and Cu-SAPO-34 were investigated. NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD), ¹H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) were adopted to characterize the adsorption states of NH₃ and H₂O in SAPO-34, and the destruction of the SAPO-34 framework was revealed by direct and cross-polarization ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al, and ³¹P MAS NMR. Gaseous NH₃ coadsorbed with H₂O inside SAPO-34 micropores and induced the hydrolysis of framework P-O-Al and Si-O(H)-Al bonds. Weakly adsorbed NH₃ was released during aging and played a similar negative role to gaseous NH₃. When being combined with hydrolyzed Al species from the framework, active Cu ions transformed to inactive CuAl₂O₄-like species, leading to deactivation in low-temperature SCR of Cu-SAPO-34. Strongly adsorbed NH₄⁺ via 200 °C preadsorption protected the framework integrity of SAPO-34 and the SCR activity of Cu-SAPO-34.

Catalytic performance and reaction mechanisms of NO removal with NH3 at low and medium temperatures on Mn-W-Sb modified siderite catalysts

Iron-based catalysts have been explored for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO due to environmentally benign characters and good SCR activity. Mn-W-Sb modified siderite catalysts were prepared by impregnation method based on siderite ore, and SCR performance of the catalysts was investigated. The catalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, H₂-temperature-programmed reduction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, Thermogravimetry-derivative thermogravimetry and in-situ diffused reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The modified siderite catalysts calcined at 450°C mainly consist of Fe₂O₃, and added Mn, W and Sb species are amorphous. 3Mn-5W-1.5Sb-siderite catalyst has a wide temperature window of 180-360°C and good N₂ selectivity at low temperatures. In-situ DRIFTS results show NH₄⁺, coordinated NH₃, NH₂, NO₃^- species (bidentate), NO₂^- species (nitro, nitro-nitrito, monodentate), and adsorbed NO₂ can be discovered on the surface of Mn-W-Sb modified siderite catalysts, and doping of Mn will enhance adsorbed NO₂ formation by synergistic catalysis with Fe³⁺. In addition, the addition of Sb can inhibit sulfates formation on the surface of the catalyst in the presence of SO₂ and H₂O. Time-dependent in-situ DRIFTS studies also indicate that both of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites play a role in SCR of NO by ammonia at low temperatures. The mechanism of NO removal on the 3Mn-5W-1.5Sb-siderite catalyst can be discovered as a combination of Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanisms with three reaction pathways. The mechanism of NO, oxidized by synergistic catalysis of Fe³⁺ and Mn^4+/3+ to form NO₂ among three pathways, reveals the reason of high NO_x conversion of the catalyst at medium and low temperatures.

New insights into the NH3-selective catalytic reduction of NO over Cu-ZSM-5 as revealed by operando spectroscopy

To control diesel vehicle NO _x emissions, Cu-exchanged zeolites have been applied in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO using NH₃ as reductant. However, the harsh hydrothermal environment of tailpipe conditions causes irreversible catalyst deactivation. The aggregation of isolated Cu²⁺ brings about unselective ammonia oxidation along with the main NH₃-SCR reaction. An unusual 'dip' shaped NO conversion curve was observed in the steamed zeolite Cu-ZSM-5, resulting from the undesired NH₃ oxidation that produced NO. Here we gain further insights into the NH₃-SCR reaction and its deactivation by employing operando UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) on fresh and steamed zeolite Cu-ZSM-5. We found that tetragonally distorted octahedral Cu²⁺ with associated NH₃ preferentially forms during low temperature NH₃-SCR (<250 °C) in fresh Cu-ZSM-5. The high coordination number of Cu²⁺ ensures the availability for high coverage of nitrate intermediates. Whilst in the steamed Cu-ZSM-5, [Cu _x (OH)_2x-1]⁺ oligomers/clusters in pseudo-tetrahedral symmetry with coordinated NH₃ accumulated during the low-temperature NH₃-SCR reaction. These clusters presented a strong adsorption of surface NH₃ and nitrates/nitric acid at low temperatures and therefore limited the reaction between surface species in the steamed Cu-ZSM-5. Further release of NH₃ with increased reaction temperature favors NH₃ oxidation that causes the drop of NO conversion at ∼275 °C. Moreover, competitive adsorption of NH₃ and nitrates/nitric acid occurs on shared Lewis-acidic adsorption sites. Prompt removal of surface nitrates/nitric acid by NO avoids the surface blockage and tunes the selectivity by alternating nitrate-nitrite equilibrium. The formation of adsorbed NO₂ and HNO _x points to the necessity of an acid adsorbent in practical applications. The structural similarity under the NH₃-SCR reaction and unselective NH₃ oxidation confirmed the entanglement of these two reactions above 250 °C.

Design of choline chloride modified USY zeolites for palladium-catalyzed acetylene hydrochlorination

USY zeolites (USY) were applied to design and synthesize palladium-based heterogeneous catalysts for exploring an efficient non-mercuric catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination. Choline chloride (ChCl) was selected as the nitrogen-containing ligand to modify the Pd@USY catalysts and the proposed Pd@15ChCl@USY catalyst exhibited obviously the best catalytic performance with a stable acetylene conversion and vinyl chloride selectivity of over 99.0% for more than 20 h. According to the results of characterization and the density functional theory calculations, it is indicated that the addition of ChCl can significantly inhibit the agglomeration and loss of the Pd active species, prevent carbon deposition and enhance the ability of HCl and C₂H₂ adsorption and C₂H₃Cl desorption, resulting in promoting the catalytic performance of Pd@USY catalysts during the acetylene hydrochlorination reaction.

Optimizing the distribution and proportion of various active sites for better NH3-SCR property over Cu/SSZ-13

The Cu/SSZ-13 catalyst with Si/Al ratio of 10 and Cu/Al ratio in the range of 0.005 to 0.5 was synthesized by ion exchange method. The effect of Cu/Al ratio on the performance, selectivity, and active center of the catalyst SCR was studied. The samples with too low Cu/Al ratio have low catalytic activity in the entire temperature range due to the small number of active sites. The samples with too high Cu/Al ratio have good performance in the low temperature range due to the large number of active sites. However, a large amount of copper that has not undergone ion exchange will generate CuO, which greatly enhances the oxidation of NH₃ at high temperatures, which in turn leads to a decrease in catalytic performance at high temperatures. XRD and BET experiments show that all catalyst samples have good CHA crystal structure and microporous structure, and the pore size is mostly about 2 nm. In situ DRIFTS analysis shows that when the Cu/Al ratio is low, the proportion of Z₂Cu in the active sites is higher, and the stability of the catalyst is enhanced. When the copper-aluminum ratio is high, the proportion of ZCuOH increases, and the low-temperature activity of the catalyst is higher.

In situ DRIFT studies on N2O formation over Cu-functionalized zeolites during ammonia-SCR

The influence of the zeolite framework structure on the formation of N2O during ammonia-SCR of NOx was studied for three different copper-functionalized zeolite samples, namely Cu-SSZ-13 (CHA), Cu-ZSM-5 (MFI), and Cu-BEA (BEA).

Revisiting NH3–catalyst interactions in Cu-SSZ-13 SCR catalysts: an in situ spectro-kinetics study

At low surface coverages, NH3 consumption was found to occur during adsorption at 120 °C over both Cu-SSZ-13, and H-SSZ-13; albeit much faster on Cu-SSZ-13.

A review on the characterization of metal active sites over Cu-based and Fe-based zeolites for NH3-SCR

The application and limitation of the above characterization methods for qualitative and quantitative determination of various metal active sites in Cu-based or Fe-based zeolites for NH3-SCR are reviewed.

Exploring the optimal ratio of elemental components of the Cu/SSZ-13 framework: the reformation of NH3-SCR properties

The effect of the ratio of skeleton elements on the performance of the Cu/SSZ-13 catalyst was studied.

Reaction Pathways of Standard and Fast Selective Catalytic Reduction over Cu-SSZ-39

Cu-SSZ-39 exhibits excellent hydrothermal stability and is expected to be used for NO_x purification in diesel vehicles. In this work, the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) activities in the presence or absence of NO₂ were tested over Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts with different Cu contents. The results showed that the NO_x conversion of Cu-SSZ-39 was improved by NO₂ when NO₂/NO_x = 0.5, especially for the catalysts with low Cu loadings. The kinetic studies showed two kinetic regimes for fast SCR from 150 to 220 °C due to a change in the rate-controlling mechanism. The activity test and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra demonstrated that the reduction of NO mainly occurred on the Cu species in the absence of feed NO₂, and when NO₂/NO = 1, NO could react with NH₄NO₃ on the Brønsted acid sites in addition to undergoing reduction on Cu species. Thus, NO₂ can promote the SCR reaction over Cu-SSZ-39 by facilitating the formation of surface nitrate species.

The Study of C3H6 Impact on Selective Catalytic Reduction by Ammonia (NH3-SCR) Performance over Cu-SAPO-34 Catalysts

In present work, the catalytic performance of Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts with or without propylene during the NH3-SCR process was conducted, and it was found that the de-NOx activity decreased during low temperature ranges (<350 °C), but obviously improved within the range of high temperatures (>350 °C) in the presence of propylene. The XRD, BET, TG, NH3-TPD, NOx-TPD, in situ DRIFTS and gas-switch experiments were performed to explore the propylene effect on the structure and performance of Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts. The bulk characterization and TG results revealed that neither coke deposition nor the variation of structure and physical properties of catalysts were observed after C3H6 treatment. Generally speaking, at the low temperatures (<350 °C), active Cu2+ species could be occupied by propylene, which inhibited the adsorption and oxidation of NOx species, confining the SCR reaction rate and causing the deactivation of Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts. However, with the increase of reaction temperatures, the occupied Cu2+ sites would be recovered and sequentially participate into the NH3-SCR reaction. Additionally, C3H6-SCR reaction also showed the synergetic contribution to the improvement of NOx conversion at high temperature (>350 °C).

Cu-IM-5 as the Catalyst for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3: Role of Cu Species and Reaction Mechanism

The role of Cu species in Cu ion-exchanged IM-5 zeolite (Cu-IM-5) regarding the performance in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR) and the reaction mechanism was studied. Based on H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results, Cu–O–Cu and isolated Cu species are suggested as main Cu species existing in Cu-IM-5 and are active for SCR reaction. Cu–O–Cu species show a good NH3-SCR activity at temperatures below 250 °C, whereas their NH3 oxidation activity at higher temperatures hinders the SCR performance. At low temperatures, NH4NO3 and NH4NO2 are key reaction intermediates. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) suggests a mixed Eley–Rideal (E–R) and Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) mechanism over Cu-IM-5 at low temperatures.

Microkinetic Modeling: A Tool for Rational Catalyst Design

The design of heterogeneous catalysts relies on understanding the fundamental surface kinetics that controls catalyst performance, and microkinetic modeling is a tool that can help the researcher in streamlining the process of catalyst design. Microkinetic modeling is used to identify critical reaction intermediates and rate-determining elementary reactions, thereby providing vital information for designing an improved catalyst. In this review, we summarize general procedures for developing microkinetic models using reaction kinetics parameters obtained from experimental data, theoretical correlations, and quantum chemical calculations. We examine the methods required to ensure the thermodynamic consistency of the microkinetic model. We describe procedures required for parameter adjustments to account for the heterogeneity of the catalyst and the inherent errors in parameter estimation. We discuss the analysis of microkinetic models to determine the rate-determining reactions using the degree of rate control and reversibility of each elementary reaction. We introduce incorporation of Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi relations and scaling relations in microkinetic models and the effects of these relations on catalytic performance and formation of volcano curves are discussed. We review the analysis of reaction schemes in terms of the maximum rate of elementary reactions, and we outline a procedure to identify kinetically significant transition states and adsorbed intermediates. We explore the application of generalized rate expressions for the prediction of optimal binding energies of important surface intermediates and to estimate the extent of potential rate improvement. We also explore the application of microkinetic modeling in homogeneous catalysis, electro-catalysis, and transient reaction kinetics. We conclude by highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the application of microkinetic modeling for catalyst design.

Selective catalytic reduction of NO over Cu-AFX zeolites: mechanistic insights from in situ/operando spectroscopic and DFT studies

In situ/operando spectroscopic experiments and DFT calculations unravel the redox mechanism of NH₃-SCR over Cu-AFX zeolites.

Recent Understanding of Low-Temperature Copper Dynamics in Cu-Chabazite NH3-SCR Catalysts

Dynamic motion of NH3-solvated Cu sites in Cu-chabazite (Cu-CHA) zeolites, which are the most promising and state-of-the-art catalysts for ammonia-assisted selective reduction of NOx (NH3-SCR) in the aftertreatment of diesel exhausts, represents a unique phenomenon linking heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. This review first summarizes recent advances in the theoretical understanding of such low-temperature Cu dynamics. Specifically, evidence of both intra-cage and inter-cage Cu motions, given by ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) or metadynamics simulations, will be highlighted. Then, we will show how, among others, synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy, vibrational and optical spectroscopy (diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and diffuse reflection ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (DRUVS)), electron paramagnetic spectroscopy (EPR), and impedance spectroscopy (IS) can be combined and complement each other to follow the evolution of coordinative environment and the local structure of Cu centers during low-temperature NH3-SCR reactions. Furthermore, the essential role of Cu dynamics in the tuning of low-temperature Cu redox, in the preparation of highly dispersed Cu-CHA catalysts by solid-state ion exchange method, and in the direct monitoring of NH3 storage and conversion will be presented. Based on the achieved mechanistic insights, we will discuss briefly the new perspectives in manipulating Cu dynamics to improve low-temperature NH3-SCR efficiency as well as in the understanding of other important reactions, such as selective methane-to-methanol oxidation and ethene dimerization, catalyzed by metal ion-exchanged zeolites.

Environmental benign synthesis of Nano-SSZ-13 via FAU trans-crystallization: Enhanced NH3-SCR performance on Cu-SSZ-13 with nano-size effect

Small pore zeolites with chabazite structure have been commercialized for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) with ammonium (NH₃) from diesel exhaust. However, conventional zeolite synthesis processes detrimental effects on the environment due to the consumption of large amount of water, organic templates. Thus, this study proposed a green synthesis process with addition of minimal amount of water, structure directing agent and shortened steps to prepare nano-sized SSZ-13 (0.12 μm) using trans-crystallization strategy and exhibited enhanced performance for NO_x removal after copper ion-exchange. The operation temperature window (NO_x conversion >90 %) as well as the SO₂ and H₂O resistance over the green-route prepared nano-sized SSZ-13 (178-480 °C) outperformed the conventional SSZ-13 (29.8 μm, 211-438 °C) mainly due to the much shorter diffusion path. This clearly implied that the mass transportation was key for NH₃-SCR of NO_x on such small pore zeolite catalysts, which was further confirmed via an in-depth mass transportation calculation process. These results demonstrate that the Cu-nano-sized SSZ-13 prepared by the environmental benign route has great potential to act as a new generation of deNO_x catalyst for diesel exhaust and provided a guideline for researchers to develop new methods to synthesize nano-catalysts for air pollution control.

Effects of Lanthanide Doping on the Catalytic Activity and Hydrothermal Stability of Cu-SAPO-18 for the Catalytic Removal of NOx (NH3-SCR) from Diesel Engines

Lanthanide (La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb, Ho or Lu)-doped Cu-SAPO-18 samples were prepared using the ion-exchange method. Physicochemical properties of the samples were systematically characterized by a number of analytical techniques, and the effects of lanthanide doping on catalytic activity and hydrothermal stability of the Cu-SAPO-18 catalysts for the NH3-SCR reaction were examined. It is shown that the doping of lanthanide elements could affect the interaction between the active components (copper ions) and the AEI-structured SAPO-18 support. The inclusion of some lanthanides significantly slowed down hydrolysis of the catalyst during hydrothermal aging treatment process, leading to an enhanced catalytic activity at both low and high temperatures and hydrothermal stability. In particular, Ce doping promoted the Cu2+ ions to migrate to the energetically favorable sites for enhancement in catalytic activity, whereas the other lanthanide ions exerted little or an opposite effect on the migration of Cu2+ ions. Additionally, Ce doping could improve hydrothermal stability of the Cu-SAPO-18 catalyst by weakening hydrolysis of the catalyst during the hydrothermal aging treatment process. Ce doping increased the catalytic activity of Cu-SAPO-18 at low and high temperatures, which was attributed to modifications of the redox and/or isolated Cu2+ active centers.

Detection of key transient Cu intermediates in SSZ-13 during NH3-SCR deNO x by modulation excitation IR spectroscopy

The small pore zeolite Cu-SSZ-13 is an efficient material for the standard selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) by ammonia (NH₃). In this work, Cu-SSZ-13 has been studied at 250 °C under high conversion using a modulation excitation approach and analysed with phase sensitive detection (PSD). While the complementary X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy measurements showed that the experiments were performed under cyclic Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ redox, Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) experiments provide spectroscopic evidence for previously postulated intermediates Cu-N([double bond, length as m-dash]O)-NH₂ and Cu-NO₃ in the NH₃-SCR deNO _x mechanism and for the role of [Cu²⁺(OH^-)]⁺. These results therefore help in building towards a more comprehensive understanding of the reaction mechanism which to date has only been postulated in silico.

Ammonia dynamic modelling over Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst for NOx emission control in diesel vehicles

Based on the ammonia storage mechanism over Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst, a temperature-dependent heterogeneity constant was introduced in the dual-site model, and was compared with traditional dual-site and multi-site model based on a series NH₃-TPD tests in this work.

Cu/SAPO-34 prepared by a facile ball milling method for enhanced catalytic performance in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3

Cu/SAPO-34 catalysts were prepared by different solid-state ion exchange methods, i.e., mechanical mixing (Cu/SAPO-34-M) and ball milling (Cu/SAPO-34-B), and were used for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR) reaction. Compared with Cu/SAPO-34-M, Cu/SAPO-34-B exhibited more excellent NH3-SCR catalytic activity. Various characterization methods, including XRD, SEM, N2 adsorption-desorption, UV-vis, H2-TPR, EPR, NO + O2-TPD, NH3-TPD, and in situ DRIFTS, were used to elucidate their different catalytic performances. The characterization results suggested that ball milling could be beneficial for increasing the amount of isolated Cu2+ ions in the Cu/SAPO-34 catalyst. In comparison with Cu/SAPO-34-M, Cu/SAPO-34-B had more isolated Cu2+ ions, which mainly contributed to the NOx adsorption and Lewis acid sites. Furthermore, ball milling could improve the redox property of the Cu/SAPO-34 catalyst. The in situ DRIFTS results verified that NH3 adsorbed on Lewis acid sites were more active than those adsorbed on Brønsted acid sites. Therefore, it was believed that ball milling was a suitable method to prepare more efficient Cu/SAPO-34 catalysts for NOx removal from diesel exhaust.

Effect of Copper Precursors on the Activity and Hydrothermal Stability of CuII−SSZ−13 NH3−SCR Catalysts

A series of CuII−SSZ−13 catalysts are prepared by in-situ hydrothermal method using different copper precursors (CuII(NO3)2, CuIISO4, CuIICl2) for selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3 in a simulated diesel vehicle exhaust. The catalysts were characterized by X−ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X−ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2 adsorption-desorption, hydrogen-temperature-programmed reduction (H2−TPR), ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (NH3−TPD), and 27Al and 29Si solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The CuII−SSZ−13 catalyst prepared by CuII(NO3)2 shows excellent catalytic activity and hydrothermal stability. The NO conversion of CuII−SSZ−13 catalyst prepared by CuII(NO3)2 reaches 90% at 180 °C and can remain above 90% at a wide temperature range of 180–700 °C. After aging treatment at 800 °C for 20 h, the CuII−SSZ−13 catalyst prepared by CuII(NO3)2 still exhibits above 90% NO conversion under a temperature range of 240–600 °C. The distribution of Cu species and the Si/Al ratios in the framework of the synthesized CuII−SSZ−13 catalysts, which determine the catalytic activity and the hydrothermal stability of the catalysts, are dependent on the adsorption capacity of anions to the cation during the crystallization process due to the so called Hofmeister anion effects, the NO3− ion has the strongest adsorption capacity among the three kinds of anions (NO3−, Cl−, and SO42−), followed by Cl– and SO42– ions. Therefore, the CuII−SSZ−13 catalyst prepared by CuII(NO3)2 possess the best catalytic ability and hydrothermal stability.

Co-Exchange of Mn: A Simple Method to Improve Both the Hydrothermal Stability and Activity of Cu–SSZ-13 NH3–SCR Catalysts

A series of Cu–Mn–SSZ-13 catalysts were obtained by co-exchange of Mn and Cu into SSZ-13 together (ion exchange under a mixed solution of Cu(NO3)2 and Mn(NO3)2) and compared with Cu–SSZ-13 catalysts on the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitric oxide (NO) by ammonia. The effects of total ion exchange degree and the effect of Mn species on the structure and performance of catalysts before and after hydrothermal aging were studied. All fresh and aged catalysts were characterized with several methods including temperature-programmed desorption with NH3 (NH3-TPD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), 27Al and 29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and low-temperature N2 adsorption–desorption techniques. The results showed that the increase of the total ion exchange degree can reduce the content of residual Brønsted acid sites of catalysts, thus relieved the dealumination and the decrease of crystallinity of the catalyst during hydrothermal aging. The moderate addition of a Mn component in Cu–Mn–SSZ-13 catalysts significantly increased the activity of NO conversion at low temperature range. The selected Cu(0.2)Mn(0.1)–SSZ-13 catalyst achieved a high NO conversion of >90% in the wide and low temperature range of 175–525 °C and also exhibited good N2 selectivity and excellent hydrothermal stability, which was related to the inhibition of the Mn component on the aggregation of Cu species and the pore destruction of the catalyst during hydrothermal aging.

Simultaneous removal of NOx and Hg0 from simulated flue gas over CuaCebZrcO3/r-Al2O3 catalysts at low temperatures: performance, characterization, and mechanism

To optimize the simultaneous removal of NO_x and Hg⁰, a series of Cu_aCe_bZr_cO₃/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts prepared by the impregnation method were explored and their physical and chemical properties were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), NH₃-temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD), H₂-temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFT), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed that 15% Cu_1.4Ce_0.55Zr_0.25O₃/γ-Al₂O₃ resulted in the highest conversion efficiency for the simultaneous removal of NO_x (93%) and Hg⁰ (85%) at low temperatures (200 to 300 °C). Meanwhile, 15% Cu_1.4Ce_0.55Zr_0.25O₃/γ-Al₂O₃ showed good stability and resistance to SO₂ and H₂O, which is due to its low crystallinity, good textural performance, and strong redox ability. According to the TPD, TPR, and XPS results, the strong acidic character of 15% Cu_1.4Ce_0.55Zr_0.25O₃/γ-Al₂O₃ promoted the removal of NO_x and Hg⁰. The synergistic effect between CuO and CeO₂ in 15% Cu_1.4Ce_0.55Zr_0.25O₃/γ-Al₂O₃ can increase the mobility of chemically adsorbed oxygen and activates lattice oxygen, leading to an excellent performance. The DRIFT results showed that NH₃, NH₄⁺, nitrate, and nitrite participated in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction. On the basis of our experimental results, Hg⁰ and NO_x removal mechanisms were proposed as Hg (ad) + O* → HgO (ad) and 2NH₃/NH₄⁺ (ad) + NO₂/NO₃^- (ad) + NO→2N₂ + 3H₂O/2H⁺, respectively.