Gas phase sulfation of ceria-zirconia solid solutions for generating highly efficient and SO2 resistant NH3-SCR catalysts for NO removal

Recent Progress on Low-Temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with Ammonia

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with ammonia (NH3-SCR) has been implemented in response to the regulation of NOx emissions from stationary and mobile sources above 300 °C. However, the development of NH3-SCR catalysts active at low temperatures below 200 °C is still needed to improve the energy efficiency and to cope with various fuels. In this review article, recent reports on low-temperature NH3-SCR catalysts are systematically summarized. The redox property as well as the surface acidity are two main factors that affect the catalytic activity. The strong redox property is beneficial for the low-temperature NH3-SCR activity but is responsible for N2O formation. The multiple electron transfer system is more plausible for controlling redox properties. H2O and SOx, which are often found with NOx in flue gas, have a detrimental effect on NH3-SCR activity, especially at low temperatures. The competitive adsorption of H2O can be minimized by enhancing the hydrophobic property of the catalyst. Various strategies to improve the resistance to SOx poisoning are also discussed.

Interface Induced by Hydrothermal Aging Boosts the Low-Temperature Activity of Cu-SSZ-13 for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx

Hitherto, sulfur poisoning and hydrothermal aging have still been the challenges faced in practical applications of the Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx from diesel engine exhaust. Here, we elaborately design and conduct an in-depth investigation of the synthetic effects of hydrothermal aging and SO2 poisoning on pristine Cu-SSZ-13 and Cu-SSZ-13@Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 core@shell structure catalysts (Cu@CZ). It has been discovered that Cu@CZ susceptible to 750 °C with 5 vol % H2O followed by 200 ppm SO2 with 5 vol % H2O (Cu@CZ-A-S) could still maintain nearly 100% NOx conversion across the significantly wider temperature region of 200-425 °C, which is remarkably broader than that of the Cu-SSZ-13-A-S (300-400 °C) counterpart. The experimental results show that the hydrothermal aging process results in the migration of highly active Cu species within the cage of Cu-SSZ-13 to the CZ surface, forming CuO/CZ with abundant interfaces, which significantly enhances the adsorption and subsequent activation of NO, leading to the generation of reactive N2O3 and HONO intermediates. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the H of the HONO* species can function as Brønsted acid sites, effectively adsorbing NH3 to generate the active NH4NO2* intermediate, which readily decomposes into N2 and H2O. Furthermore, this pathway is the rate-determining step with an energy barrier of 0.93 eV, notably lower than that of the "standard SCR" pathway (1.42 eV). Therefore, the formation of the new CuO/CZ interface profoundly boosts the low-temperature NH3-SCR activity and improves the coresistance of the Cu@CZ catalyst to sulfur poisoning and hydrothermal aging.

Synergistic catalytic removal of NOx and chlorinated organics through the cooperation of different active sites

The synergistic removal of NOx and chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) has become the hot topic in the field of environmental catalysis. However, due to the trade-off effects between catalytic reduction of NOx and catalytic oxidation of CVOCs, it is indispensable to achieve well-matched redox property and acidity. Herein, synergistic catalytic removal of NOx and chlorobenzene (CB, as the model of CVOCs) has been originally demonstrated over a Co-doped SmMn2O5 mullite catalyst. Two kinds of Mn-Mn sites existed in Mn-O-Mn-Mn and Co-O-Mn-Mn sites were constructed, which owned gradient redox ability. It has been demonstrated that the cooperation of different active sites can achieve the balanced redox and acidic property of the SmMn2O5 catalyst. It is interesting that the d band center of Mn-Mn sites in two different sites was decreased by the introduction of Co, which inhibited the nitrate species deposition and significantly improved the N2 selectivity. The Co-O-Mn-Mn sites were beneficial to the oxidation of CB and it cooperates with Mn-O-Mn-Mn to promote the synergistic catalytic performance. This work paves the way for synergistic removal of NOx and CVOCs over cooperative active sites in catalysts.

Pd-CeO2 catalyst facilely derived from one-pot generated Pd@Ce-BTC for low temperature CO oxidation

Due to the capacity to offer abundant catalytic sites within porous solids featuring high surface areas, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives have garnered considerable attention as prospective catalysts in environmental catalysis. To promote the industrial application of MOFs, there is an urgent need for an effective and environmental-friendly preparation approach. Breaking through the limitation of the traditional two-step preparation method that Pd was introduced to the already prepared Ce-BTC (Pd/Ce-BTC, BTC = 1, 3, 5 benzenetricarboxylate), in this work, we present a novel one-pot solvothermal method for synthesizing the Pd material supported by Ce-BTC (Pd@Ce-BTC). After pyrolysis in N2 flow or air flow, Pd-CeO2 catalysts derived from Pd@Ce-BTC exhibited much higher CO oxidation activity than those from Pd/Ce-BTC. Moreover, Pd/Ce-BTC and Pd@Ce-BTC pyrolyzed in N2 flow (Pd/Ce-BTC-N and Pd@Ce-BTC-N) could better catalyze the oxidation of CO than Pd/Ce-BTC and Pd@Ce-BTC pyrolyzed in air flow (Pd/Ce-BTC-A and Pd@Ce-BTC-A). Further characterizations revealed that the abundant surface Ce3+ species, rich surface adsorbed oxygen species and superior redox properties were the main reasons for the superior CO oxidation activity of Pd@Ce-BTC-N.

The influence of H2O or/and O2 introduction during the low-temperature gas-phase sulfation of organic COS + CS2 on the conversion and deposition of sulfur-containing species in the sulfated CeO2-OS catalyst for NH3-SCR

Herein, the typical components of blast furnace gas, including H2O and O2, were introduced to improve the NH3-SCR activity of the sulfated CeO2-OS catalyst during the gas-phase sulfation of organic COS + CS2 at 50 °C. The characterization results demonstrate that the introduction of O2 or H2O during gas-phase sulfation enhances the conversion of organic COS + CS2 on a cubic fluorite CeO2 surface and reduces the formation of sulfur and sulfates in the catalyst, but decreases the BET surface area and pore volume of the sulfated CeO2-OS catalyst. However, the introduction of O2 or H2O during the gas-phase sulfation increases the molar ratios of Ce3+/(Ce3+ + Ce4+) and Oβ/(Oα + Oβ + Oγ) on the sulfated CeO2-OS catalyst surface, thus promoting the formation of surface oxygen vacancies and chemisorbed oxygen, and these properties of the catalyst are further enhanced by the co-existence of O2 and H2O. Furthermore, the reduction of sulfates formed under the action of O2 or H2O decreases the weak acid sites of the sulfated CeO2-OS catalyst, but the few and highly dispersive sulfates present stronger reducibility, and the proportion of medium-strong acid sites of the catalyst increases. These factors help to improve the NH3-SCR activity of the sulfated CeO2-OS catalyst. Thus, there exists a synergistic effect of H2O and O2 introduction during gas-phase sulfation on the physical-chemical properties and catalytic performance of the sulfated CeO2-OS catalyst by organic COS + CS2 at 50 °C.

Promotion of SO2 resistance of Ce-La/TiO2 denitrification catalysts by V doping

Conventional cerium-based denitrification catalysts show good catalytic activity at moderate and high temperatures, but their denitrification performance may be decreased due to poisoning by SO2 in the flue gas. In this paper, V was introduced into Ce-La/TiO2 catalysts by a ball-milling method, and the effects of the V content on catalyst denitrification performance and SO2 resistance were investigated. Fourier-transform diffuse reflectance in situ infrared spectroscopy was used to examine the denitrification mechanism and evaluate the catalysts for surface acidity, redox characteristics, and SO2 adsorption. After introducing V, Brønsted acids played the dominant role in the catalytic reaction by increasing the number of acidic sites on the catalyst surface, adsorbing NH3 to participate in the reaction, and improving the sulfur resistance by inhibiting SO2 poisoning. The Ce3+ and O ratio on the catalyst surface were also enhanced by V doping, which reduced interactions between SO2 and the primary metal oxide active ingredients. The modified catalyst inhibited the formation of sulfate species on the catalyst surface and prevented the generation of additional nitrate species on the surface, which protected the main active sites. After V doping, the NH3-SCR reaction on the catalyst surface followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism.

Fine-Tuning of Pt Dispersion on Al2O3 and Understanding the Nature of Active Pt Sites for Efficient CO and NH3 Oxidation Reactions

Fine-tuning the dispersion of active metal species on widely used supports is a research hotspot in the catalysis community, which is vital for achieving a balance between the atomic utilization efficiency and the intrinsic activity of active sites. In this work, using bayerite Al(OH)3 as support directly or after precalcination at 200 or 550 °C, Pt/Al2O3 catalysts with distinct Pt dispersions from single atoms to clusters (ca. 2 nm) were prepared and evaluated for CO and NH3 removal. Richer surface hydroxyl groups on AlOx(OH)y support were proved to better facilitate the dispersion of Pt. However, Pt/Al2O3 with relatively lower Pt dispersion could exhibit better activity in CO/NH3 oxidation reactions. Further reaction mechanism study revealed that the Pt sites on Pt/Al2O3 with lower Pt dispersion could be activated to Pt0 species much easier under the CO oxidation condition, on which a higher CO adsorption capacity and more efficient O2 activation were achieved simultaneously. Compared to Pt single atoms, PtOx clusters could also better activate NH3 into -NH2 and -HNO species. The higher CO adsorption capacity and the more efficient NH3/O2 activation ability on Pt/Al2O3 with relatively lower Pt dispersion well explained its higher CO/NH3 oxidation activity. This study emphasizes the importance of avoiding a singular pursuit of single-atom catalyst synthesis and instead focusing on achieving the most effective Pt species on Al2O3 support for targeted reactions. This approach avoids unnecessary limitations and enables a more practical and efficient strategy for Pt catalyst fabrication in emission control applications.

Molecular Engineering of a Metal-Organic Polymer for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion and Zinc Nitrate Batteries

Metal-organic framework-based materials are promising single-site catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3 - ) reduction to value-added ammonia (NH3 ) on account of well-defined structures and functional tunability but still lack a molecular-level understanding for designing the high-efficient catalysts. Here, we proposed a molecular engineering strategy to enhance electrochemical NO3 - -to-NH3 conversion by introducing the carbonyl groups into 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene (BTA) based metal-organic polymer to precisely modulate the electronic state of metal centers. Due to the electron-withdrawing properties of the carbonyl group, metal centers can be converted to an electron-deficient state, fascinating the NO3 - adsorption and promoting continuous hydrogenation reactions to produce NH3 . Compared to CuBTA with a low NO3 - -to-NH3 conversion efficiency of 85.1 %, quinone group functionalization endows the resulting copper tetraminobenzoquinone (CuTABQ) distinguished performance with a much higher NH3 FE of 97.7 %. This molecular engineering strategy is also universal, as verified by the improved NO3 - -to-NH3 conversion performance on different metal centers, including Co and Ni. Furthermore, the assembled rechargeable Zn-NO3 - battery based on CuTABQ cathode can deliver a high power density of 12.3 mW cm-2 . This work provides advanced insights into the rational design of metal complex catalysts through the molecular-level regulation for NO3 - electroreduction to value-added NH3 .

Tuning the Interaction between Platinum Single Atoms and Ceria by Zirconia Doping for Efficient Catalytic Ammonia Oxidation

Aiming at the development of an efficient NH3 oxidation catalyst to eliminate the harmful NH3 slip from the stationary flue gas denitrification system and diesel exhaust aftertreatment system, a facile ZrO2 doping strategy was proposed to construct Pt1/CexZr1-xO2 catalysts with a tunable Pt-CeO2 interaction strength and Pt-O-Ce coordination environment. According to the results of systematic characterizations, Pt species supported on CexZr1-xO2 were mainly in the form of single atoms when x ≥ 0.7, and the strength of the Pt-CeO2 interaction and the coordination number of Pt-O-Ce bond (CNPt-O-Ce) on Pt1/CexZr1-xO2 showed a volcanic change as a function of the ZrO2 doping amount. It was proposed that the balance between the reasonable concentration of oxygen defects and limited surface Zr-Ox species well accounted for the strongest Pt-CeO2 interaction and the highest CNPt-O-Ce on Pt/Ce0.9Zr0.1O2. It was observed that the Pt/Ce0.9Zr0.1O2 catalyst exhibited much higher NH3 oxidation activity than other Pt/CexZr1-xO2 catalysts. The mechanism study revealed that the Pt1 species with the stronger Pt-CeO2 interaction and higher CNPt-O-Ce within Pt/Ce0.9Zr0.1O2 could better activate NH3 adsorbed on Lewis acid sites to react with O2 thus resulting in superior NH3 oxidation activity. This work provides a new approach for designing highly efficient Pt/CeO2 based catalysts for low-temperature NH3 oxidation.

Surface Lattice-Embedded Pt Single-Atom Catalyst on Ceria-Zirconia with Superior Catalytic Performance for Propane Oxidation

Tuning the metal-support interaction and coordination environment of single-atom catalysts can help achieve satisfactory catalytic performance for targeted reactions. Herein, via the facile control of calcination temperatures for Pt catalysts on pre-stabilized Ce0.9Zr0.1O2 (CZO) support, Pt single atoms (Pt1) with different strengths of Pt-CeO2 interaction and coordination environment were successfully constructed. With the increase in calcination temperature from 350 to 750 °C, a stronger Pt-CeO2 interaction and higher Pt-O-Ce coordination number were achieved due to the reaction between PtOx and surface Ce3+ species as well as the migration of Pt1 into the surface lattice of CZO. The Pt/CZO catalyst calcined at 750 °C (Pt/CZO-750) exhibited a surprisingly higher C3H8 oxidation activity than that calcined at 550 °C (Pt/CZO-550). Through systematic characterizations and reaction mechanism study, it was revealed that the higher concentration of surface Ce3+ species/oxygen vacancies and the stronger Pt-CeO2 interaction on Pt/CZO-750 could better facilitate the activation of oxygen to oxidize C3H8 into reactive carbonate/carboxyl species and further promote the transformation of these intermediates into gaseous CO2. The Pt/CZO-750 catalyst can be a potential candidate for the catalytic removal of hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust.

Unveiling alkali metal poisoning of CrMn catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3: An experimental and theoretical study

Alkali metal poisoning has been an intricate and unsolved issue confining the catalytic activity of NH₃-SCR catalysts up to now. Herein, the effect of NaCl and KCl on catalytic activity of CrMn catalyst for NH₃-SCR of NO_x was systematically investigated to clarify the alkali metal poisoning by combined experiments and theoretical calculations. It unveiled that NaCl/KCl could deactivate CrMn catalyst due to the decrease in specific surface area, electron transfer (Cr⁵⁺+Mn³⁺↔Cr³⁺+Mn⁴⁺), redox ability and oxygen vacancy and NH₃/NO adsorption. In addition, NaCl cut off E-R mechanism reactions by inactivating surface Brønsted/Lewis acid sites. DFT calculations revealed that (1) Na and K could weaken MnO bond, (2) competitive adsorption between Cl and NH₃ was a main reason weakening Lewis acid, (3) Cl adsorption was also a major cause diminishing Brønsted acid and oxygen vacancy, (4) Both Na and K seriously impeded NO adsorption/activation, (5) NaCl/KCl increased the reaction heat of H₂O desorption (rate-determining step) in E-R mechanism reactions and KCl elevated its energy barrier in L-H mechanism reactions. Thus, this study provides the deep understanding of alkali metal poisoning and a well strategy to synthesize NH₃-SCR catalysts with outstanding alkali metal resistance.

Fine-tuned local coordination environment of Pt single atoms on ceria controls catalytic reactivity

Constructing single atom catalysts with fine-tuned coordination environments can be a promising strategy to achieve satisfactory catalytic performance. Herein, via a simple calcination temperature-control strategy, CeO2 supported Pt single atom catalysts with precisely controlled coordination environments are successfully fabricated. The joint experimental and theoretical analysis reveals that the Pt single atoms on Pt1/CeO2 prepared at 550 °C (Pt/CeO2-550) are mainly located at the edge sites of CeO2 with a Pt-O coordination number of ca. 5, while those prepared at 800 °C (Pt/CeO2-800) are predominantly located at distorted Ce substitution sites on CeO2 terrace with a Pt-O coordination number of ca. 4. Pt/CeO2-550 and Pt/CeO2-800 with different Pt1-CeO2 coordination environments exhibit a reversal of activity trend in CO oxidation and NH3 oxidation due to their different privileges in reactants activation and H2O desorption, suggesting that the catalytic performance of Pt single atom catalysts in different target reactions can be maximized by optimizing their local coordination structures.

Enriching SO42− Immobilization on α-Fe2O3 via Spatial Confinement for Robust NH3-SCR Denitration

The application of iron oxide to NH3-SCR is attractive but largely hindered by its poor acid properties, and surface sulfation is proven to be a prominent way of enhancing the acidity. As such, the method of enriching the sulfate species on iron oxide is crucial for improving the NH3-SCR performance. In the present study, by employing ammonium bisulfate (ABS) as the source of gaseous SO2 for the purpose of trapping, we reported an effective strategy for enhancing the SO42− immobilization on α-Fe2O3 catalyst via spatial confinement in a mesoporous SBA-15 framework. Interestingly, although the presence of the mesopore channel had an adverse effect on the ABS decomposition, which was expected to produce less available SO2, the measured SO42− immobilized on α-Fe2O3 in the mesoporous SBA-15 system was significantly greater than that of the regular SiO2, demonstrating the promoting effect of the spatial confinement on the SO42− enrichment. Further characterizations of the NH3-TPD, NO oxidation, and NH3-SCR performance tests proved that, as a result of the enhanced acidity, the enrichment of SO42− on α-Fe2O3 displayed a clear correlation with the SCR activity. The results of the present study provide an effective strategy for boosting the catalytic performance of iron oxide in NH3-SCR via SO42− enrichment.

Hydrothermal Aging Treatment Activates V2O5/TiO2 Catalysts for NOx Abatement

Thermal stability is crucial for the practical application of deNO_x catalysts. Vanadia-based catalysts are widely applied for the selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with NH₃ (NH₃-SCR). Generally, hydrothermal aging at high temperatures induces the deactivation of deNO_x catalysts. However, in this work, a remarkable increase in low- and medium-temperature NH₃-SCR activity was observed for a V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalyst after hydrothermal aging treatment, especially at 750 °C for 16 h. After the vanadia-based catalyst was hydrothermally treated at 750 °C, the specific surface area decreased and the surface VO_x density and surface V ratio increased significantly. Therefore, the aged catalyst presented more abundant polymeric vanadyl species than the fresh one. Furthermore, the redox capability was improved markedly after hydrothermal treatment due to the strong interaction of vanadia and titania, contributing to the NH₃-SCR reaction. 750 °C is the optimal temperature to activate the V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalyst, improving the SCR performance significantly. This study provides an in-depth understanding of vanadia-based catalysts for practical applications.

Simultaneous catalytic removal of NO, mercury and chlorobenzene over WCeMnOx/TiO2-ZrO2: Performance study of microscopic morphology and phase composition

Nitrogen oxides, mercury and chlorobenzene are important air pollutants emitted by waste incineration and other industries. Coordinated control of multiple pollutants has become an important technology for air pollution control. Through solid-phase structure control, the catalytic performance of the WCeMnO_x/TiO₂-ZrO₂ catalyst for simultaneous catalytic removal of NO, mercury and simultaneous removal of NO and chlorobenzene were improved. MnWO₄ improved the solid acidity of the catalyst and improved the catalytic activity at high temperature. The formation of Ce_0·75Zr_0·25O₂, Ce₂WO₆, Ce₂Zr₂O₇ and Ce₂Ti₂O₇ improved the catalytic activity at low temperature. The presence of TiOSO₄ would affect the valence of metal ions and the reduction of chemisorbed oxygen, thereby reducing the catalytic activity at low temperature. Within the same size range of nanoparticles, cyclic nanoparticles exposed more active sites due to their hollow structure, and their catalytic performance was better than spherical nanoparticles. The thickness of the circular nanoparticles of WCM/TZ-14 catalyst was about 14 nm, and the diameter was about 40 nm Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂ and MnWO₄ were also present in the phase composition. Therefore, it exhibited the best performance for simultaneous catalytic removal of NO, mercury and simultaneous removal of NO and chlorobenzene. The coincidence temperature window was 347-516 °C. Finally, WCM/TZ-14 catalyst followed both E-R and L-H mechanisms in the NH₃-SCR reaction.

Effects of sulfation on hematite for selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with ammonia

Hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) is a promising candidate for NH₃ selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) of NO_x due to its good sulfur resistance. However, the activity of pure α-Fe₂O₃ is very low. In this work, α-Fe₂O₃ obtained excellent N₂ selectivity and medium-high temperature activity via a simple surface sulfation method. The α-Fe₂O₃-350 (sulfated at 350 °C) sample showed an NO conversion rate of ~ 100% in the range of 275-350 °C and exhibited excellent H₂O and SO₂ resistance ability at 300 °C. Furthermore, pure α-Fe₂O₃ was used as a model catalyst to fully uncover the effect of sulfation on FeO_x-based catalysts in NH₃-SCR reactions. Structural characterization indicated that the degree of surface sulfation of the catalyst would be deepened with increasing temperature, and the states of sulfate species on α-Fe₂O₃ changed from surface sulfates to bulk-like sulfates. Although sulfation treatment reduced the redox properties of α-Fe₂O₃, it significantly increased its surface acidity and thus the activity. Excessive bulk-like sulfates induced a decrease in activity. Sulfation inhibited the adsorption of NO_x on the α-Fe₂O₃ catalyst surface and reduced the thermal stability of nitrates at medium-high temperature. Thus, the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism was inhibited, and the reaction mainly followed the Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanism.

A novel CNTs functionalized CeO2/CNTs-GAC catalyst with high NO conversion and SO2 tolerance for low temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3

Low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO_x by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR) for diminishing SO₂ poisoning remains an issue in flue gas denitrification (DeNO_x). Herein, A novel CNTs functionalized low temperature NH₃-SCR catalyst CeO₂/CNTs-GAC was prepared, which showed high NO conversion activity (100% at 150 °C) and SO₂ resistance. The addition of CNTs restrained SO₂ adsorption but improved the selective adsorption of NO, which restricted the deposition of (NH₄)₂SO₄ and/or Ce₂(SO₄)₃, and resulted in high SO₂ resistance. The addition of CNTs facilitated the diffusion and transportation of NH₃ and NO, and the electron transfer on CeO₂/CNTs-GAC, leading to higher content of Ce³⁺ and adsorbed O species on the CeO₂/CNTs-GAC surface and promoted formation of surface-adsorbed oxygen O_A. Therefore, CeO₂/CNTs-GAC provided abundant NO adsorption and activation sites, facilitating "fast SCR" reaction and enhancing the NH₃-SCR reaction. The proposed CeO₂/CNTs-GAC catalyst exhibited higher NH₃-SCR activity, N₂ selectivity, catalytic durability and SO₂ resistance than CeO₂/GAC.

Catalytic performance and mechanistic evaluation of sulfated CeO2 cubes for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia

Sulfated CeO₂ cubes were prepared by the impregnation of CeO₂ cubes by ammonium sulfates, and further evaluated in selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with ammonia (NH₃-SCR). Catalytic activity tests indicated that NO_x reduction conversions and N₂ selectivity of sulfated CeO₂ cubes could be significantly improved compared to pure CeO₂ cubes. The synthesized sulfated CeO₂ cubes were further characterized by atom-resolved high angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) by pyridine adsorption, and temperature-programmed reduction by H₂ (H₂-TPR). The characterization results showed that sulfates were primarily dispersed through the corners, edges, and surfaces of CeO₂ cubes, and did not significantly affect the crystal structures of CeO₂ cubes. Sulfation treatment could create and strengthen Brønsted acid sites originated from the protons on surface sulfates, further facilitating ammonia adsorption and activation. The kinetic data indicated that the apparent reaction order of NO, O₂, and NH₃ was 0.95 to 1.01, -0.01 to 0.00, and -0.18 to -0.15, respectively. It could speculate that gaseous phase NO involving in NO catalytic oxidation was the rate-determining step over sulfated CeO₂ cubes for NH₃-SCR reaction. The presence of NH₃ slightly inhibited the SCR reaction rate due to the competitive adsorption blocking NO oxidation sites.

Transformation of Highly Stable Pt Single Sites on Defect Engineered Ceria into Robust Pt Clusters for Vehicle Emission Control

Engineering surface defects on metal oxide supports could help promote the dispersion of active sites and catalytic performance of supported catalysts. Herein, a strategy of ZrO₂ doping was proposed to create rich surface defects on CeO₂ (CZO) and, with these defects, to improve Pt dispersion and enhance its affinity as single sites to the CZO support (Pt/CZO). The strongly anchored Pt single sites on CZO support were initially not efficient for catalytic oxidation of CO/C₃H₆. However, after a simple activation by H₂ reduction, the catalytic oxidation performance over Pt/CZO catalyst was significantly boosted and better than Pt/CeO₂. Pt/CZO catalyst also exhibited much higher thermal stability. The structural evolution of Pt active sites by H₂ treatment was systematically investigated on aged Pt/CZO and Pt/CeO₂ catalysts. With H₂ reduction, ionic Pt single sites were transformed into active Pt clusters. Much smaller Pt clusters were created on CZO (ca. 1.2 nm) than on CeO₂ (ca. 1.8 nm) due to stronger Pt-CeO₂ interaction on aged Pt/CZO. Consequently, more exposed active Pt sites were obtained on the smaller clusters surrounded by more oxygen defects and Ce³⁺ species, which directly translated to the higher catalytic oxidation performance of activated Pt/CZO catalyst in vehicle emission control applications.

Revealing the effect of paired redox-acid sites on metal oxide catalysts for efficient NOx removal by NH3-SCR

Understanding the nature of active sites on metal oxide catalysts in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR) is a crucial prerequisite for the development of novel efficient NH₃-SCR catalysts. In this work, two CeO₂-based SCR catalyst systems with diverse acidic metal oxides-CeO₂ interfaces, i.e., Nb₂O₅-CeO₂ (Nb₂O₅/CeO₂ and CeO₂/Nb₂O₅) and WO₃-CeO₂ (WO₃/CeO₂ and CeO₂/WO₃), were prepared and used to reveal the relationship between NH₃-SCR activity and surface acidity/redox properties. In combination with the results of the NH₃-SCR activity test and various characterizations, it was found that the NH₃-SCR performance of Nb₂O₅-CeO₂ and WO₃-CeO₂ catalysts was highly dependent on the strong interactions between the redox component (CeO₂) and acidic component (Nb₂O₅ or WO₃), as well as the amount of paired redox-acid sites. From a quantitative perspective, an activity-surface acidity/redox property relationship was proposed. For both Nb₂O₅-CeO₂ and WO₃-CeO₂ catalysts systems operated at the more concerned low-temperature range (200 °C), the NH₃-SCR activity in low NO_x conversion region (< 40%) was mainly dominated by the surface acidity of catalysts, while the NH₃-SCR activity in high NO_x conversion region (> 40%) was more determined by redox properties.

Comparative study of HSOA-/SOA2- versus H3-BPO4B- functionalities anchored on TiO2-supported antimony oxide-vanadium oxide-cerium oxide composites for low-temperature NOX activation

TiO₂-supported antimony oxide-vanadium oxide-cerium oxide (SVC) imparts Lewis acidic (L)/Brönsted acidic (B) sites, labile (O_α)/mobile oxygens (O_M), and oxygen vacancies (O_V) for selective catalytic NO_X reduction (SCR). However, these species are harmonious occasionally, readily poisoned by H₂O/sulfur/phosphorus/carbon, thus limiting SCR performance of SVC. Herein, a synthetic means is reported for immobilizing HSO_A^-/SO_A^2- (A= 3-4) or H_3-BPO₄^B- (B= 1-3) on the L sites of SVC to form SVC-S and SVC-P. HSO_A^-/SO_A^2-/H_3-BPO₄^B- acted as additional B sites with distinct characteristics, altered the properties of O_α/O_M/O_V species, thereby affecting the SCR activities and performance of SVC-S and SVC-P. SVC-P activated Langmuir-Hinshelwood-typed SCR better than SVC-S, as demonstrated by a greater O_α-directed pre-factor and smaller binding energy between O_α and NO. Meanwhile, SVC-S provided a larger B-directed pre-factor, thereby outperforming SVC-P in activating Eley-Rideal-typed SCR that dictated the overall SCR activities. Compared with SVC-S, SVC-P contained fewer O_V species, yet, had higher O_M mobility, thus enhancing the overall redox cycling feature, while providing greater Brönsted acidity. Consequently, the resistance of SVC-P to H₂O or soot were greater than or similar to that of SVC-S. Conversely, SVC-S revealed greater tolerance to hydro-thermal aging and SO₂ than SVC-P. This study highlights the pros and cons of HSO_A^-/SO_A^2-/H_3-BPO₄^B- functionalities in tailoring the properties of metal oxides in use as SCR catalysts.

Insight into the reaction mechanism over PMoA for low temperature NH3-SCR: A combined In-situ DRIFTs and DFT transition state calculations

Phosphomolybdic acid catalyst (PMoA/TiO₂) is a promising catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with NH₃ (NH₃-SCR) due to its strong acidity and excellent redox property. This work presents the NH₃-SCR reaction mechanism by In-situ diffuse reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (In-situ DRIFTs) and density functional theory (DFT). In-situ DRIFTs results indicated that the NH₃-SCR performance over PMoA/TiO₂ followed both Eley-Rideal (E-R) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanisms. The reaction pathway, intermediate, transition state and energy barrier over PMoA to complete NH₃-SCR reaction were calculated by DFT. The results showed that the catalytic cycle includes foundational reaction (NH₃ + NO reaction) and regenerative reaction (NH₃ + NO₂ reaction). NH₂, NH₂NO, HNNOH and HO₂NNH species were the key intermediates. In the foundational reactions, NO₂ played an important role in the removal of remaining H atoms. The NH₃ dissociation on Lewis acid site, the internal hydrogen transfer on Brønsted acid site and the formation of HO₂NNH species were the rate-controlling steps. The catalytic cycle of NH₃-SCR over PMoA consists of standard SCR and fast SCR.

Ce-Si Mixed Oxide: A High Sulfur Resistant Catalyst in the NH3-SCR Reaction through the Mechanism-Enhanced Process

Investigating catalytic reaction mechanisms could help guide the design of catalysts. Here, aimed at improving both the catalytic performance and SO₂ resistance ability of catalysts in the selective reduction of NO by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR), an innovative CeO₂-SiO₂ mixed oxide catalyst (CeSi2) was developed based on our understanding of both the sulfur poisoning and reaction mechanisms, which exhibited excellent SO₂/H₂O resistance ability even in the harsh working conditions (containing 500 ppm of SO₂ and 5% H₂O). The strong interaction between Ce and Si (Ce-O-Si) and the abundant surface hydroxyl groups on CeSi2 not only provided fruitful surface acid sites but also significantly inhibited SO₂ adsorption. The NH₃-SCR performance of CeSi2 was promoted by an enhanced Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanism in which more active acid sites were preserved under the reaction conditions and gaseous NO could directly react with adsorbed NH₃. This mechanism-enhanced process was even further promoted on sulfated CeSi2. This work provides a reaction mechanism-enhanced strategy to develop an environmentally friendly NH₃-SCR catalyst with superior SO₂ resistance.

One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of dual metal incorporated CuCe-SAPO-34 zeolite for enhancing ammonia selective catalytic reduction

A series of dual metal incorporated CuCex-SAPO-34(x = 0-0.04) samples were synthesized using one-pot hydrothermal method with diethylamine as organic structure-directing agent for selective catalytic reduction of NO_x by NH₃. The catalytic properties were elucidated in detail with physicochemical properties being analyzed using various instruments. All the catalysts exhibited typical SAPO-34 crystal structures with high specific surface areas. With the dual-metal incorporation, the surface acidity and amount of isolated Cu²⁺, which may be active sites for NH₃-SCR, were significantly enhanced. However, excessive Ce restrained the formation of isolated Cu²⁺ due to its occupation of cationic sites. Therefore, the 0.05CuCe0.02-SAPO-34 exhibited high NO conversion (≥80%) at 168°C-500°C. Furthermore, the NH₃-SCR mechanism over different catalysts was investigated in-situ DRIFTS experiments. For the 0.05Cu-SAPO-34, the adsorbed NH₃ species react with gaseous NO and following the E-R mechanism throughout the reaction temperature range. Meanwhile, adsorbed NO₂ was detected and reacted with the adsorbed NH₃ species according to the L-H mechanism in low-temperature region. In contrast, the NH₃-SCR reaction over the 0.05CuCe0.02-SAPO-34 primarily followed the E-R mechanism throughout the temperature range. The L-H mechanism was cut off due to the loss of the adsorption ability of nitrous species at high temperatures., resulting in NO conversion decreasing.

Starch bio-template synthesis of W-doped CeO2 catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3: influence of ignition temperature

A novel tungsten-doped CeO₂ catalyst was fabricated via the sweet potato starch bio-template spread self-combustion (SSC) method to secure a high NH₃-SCR activity. The study focuses on the influence of ignition temperature on the physical structure and redox properties of the synthesized catalyst and the catalytic performance of NO_x reduction with NH₃. These were quantitatively examined by conducting TG-DSC measurements of the starch gel, XRD analysis for the crystallites, SEM and TEM assessments for the morphology of the catalyst, XPS and H₂-TPR measurements for the distribution of cerium and tungsten, and NH₃-TPD assessments for the acidity of the catalyst. It is found that the ignition temperature shows an important role in the interaction of cerium and tungsten species, and the optimal ignition temperature is 500 °C. The increase of ignition temperature from 150 °C is beneficial to the interactions of species in the catalyst, depresses the formation of WO₃, and refines the cubic CeO₂ crystallite. The sample ignited at 500 °C shows the biggest BET surface area, the highest surface concentration of Ce species and molar ratio of Ce³⁺/(Ce³⁺+Ce⁴⁺), and the most abundant surface Brønsted acid sites, which are the possible reasons for the superiority of the NH₃-SCR activity. With a high GHSV of 200,000 mL (g h)^-1 and the optimal ignition temperature, Ce₄W₂O_z-500 can achieve a steadily high NO_x reduction of 80% or more at a lowered reduction temperature in the range of 250~500 °C.

Investigation of Sulfated Iron-Based Catalysts with Different Sulfate Position for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3

The Fe/(SZr) and S(Fe/Zr) sulfated iron-based catalysts, prepared by impregnation methods through changing the loading order of Fe2O3 and SO42− on ZrO2, were investigated on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx by ammonia. It was studied that the existent forms of Fe2O3 and SO42− on the surface of catalysts were affected by the loading order. The Fe/(SZr) catalyst surface had isolated Fe2O3 and SO42− species and followed both the L-H mechanism and the E-R mechanism, whereas the S(Fe/Zr) catalyst contained SO42− specie and sulfate only and mainly followed the E-R pathway. These factors affected the redox ability and NH3 adsorption, which might be key to the SCR reaction.