Rare earth containing catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia: A Review

Advancements in low-temperature NH3-SCR of NOx using Ba-based catalysts: a critical review of preparation, mechanisms, and challenges

Presently, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), with either carbon monoxide, urea, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, or ammonia as a reductant, has become a nitrogen oxide (NOx) removal technology (NOx conversion) of many catalytic companies and diesel engine exhaust gas. Although, there exists a serious threat of low-temperature limitations. So far, certain scientists have shown that barium-based (Ba-based) catalysts have the potential to be highly effective at SCR of NOx at low temperatures when ammonia is used as the reducing agent. The process of NOx storage and reduction which alternate SCR is known as the Lean NOx trap. Herein, we give the condensed advancements and production of the catalysts that involve BaO in low-temperature NH3-SCR of NOx, the advantages of BaO catalysts compared to the recently hot electrocatalysis, the stability of BaO catalyst materials, and the condensed advancements and production of the catalysts that involve BaO in low-temperature NH3-SCR of NOx. These catalysts are viewed in the light of their preparation method, particulate, and posture in mixed oxides. Also, the characteristic features of Ba-based catalysts are carefully considered and briefed under the following areas: preparation method and precursor, crystallinity, calcination temperature, morphology, acid sites, the specific surface area for reaction, redox property, and activation energy of catalysts. More to these are the discussions on Eley-Rideal [E-R] and Langmuir-Hinshelwood [L-H] mechanisms, the H2O/SO2 and O2 permissiveness, and the NH3-SCR reaction mechanism over Ba-based catalysts highlighting their possible effects. Finally, we proposed the prospect and the likely future research plan for the low-temperature NH3-SCR of NOx.

Protection Effect of Ammonia on CeNbTi NH3-SCR Catalyst from SO2 Poisoning

CeNbTi catalyst was poisoned in different sulfur poisoning atmospheres at 300 °C for 6 h and then was evaluated for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3. The catalyst deactivation upon SO2 exposure was effectively inhibited in the presence of NH3. Temperature-programmed decomposition (TPD) analyses were applied to identify deposit species on the poisoned catalysts by comparison with several groups of reference samples. Diffuses reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) over CeNbTi catalysts with different poisoning pretreatments and gas purging sequences were designed to investigate the roles of NH3 in the removal of surface sulfites and sulfates. More ammonium sulfates including ammonium bisulfate and ammonium cerium sulfate were generated instead of inert cerium sulfate in these conditions. The mechanisms about the formation and transformation of surface deposits upon sulfur poisoning w/wo NH3 were explored, which provided a basis for developing Ce-based mixed oxides as SCR catalysts for stationary sources.

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.

The Emergence of the Ubiquity of Cerium in Heterogeneous Oxidation Catalysis Science and Technology

Research into the incorporation of cerium into a diverse range of catalyst systems for a wide spectrum of process chemistries has expanded rapidly. This has been evidenced since about 1980 in the increasing number of both scientific research journals and patent publications that address the application of cerium as a component of a multi-metal oxide system and as a support material for metal catalysts. This review chronicles both the applied and fundamental research into cerium-containing oxide catalysts where cerium’s redox activity confers enhanced and new catalytic functionality. Application areas of cerium-containing catalysts include selective oxidation, combustion, NOx remediation, and the production of sustainable chemicals and materials via bio-based feedstocks, among others. The newfound interest in cerium-containing catalysts stems from the benefits achieved by cerium’s inclusion, which include selectivity, activity, and stability. These benefits arise because of cerium’s unique combination of chemical and thermal stability, its redox active properties, its ability to stabilize defect structures in multicomponent oxides, and its propensity to stabilize catalytically optimal oxidation states of other multivalent elements. This review surveys the origins and some of the current directions in the research and application of cerium oxide-based catalysts.

Fabrication of 1D/2D BiPO4/g-C3N4 heterostructured photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for NO removal

The visible light photocatalytic removal of NO in air is a promising way. BiPO₄ is restricted by its wide band gap and can only be responded to ultraviolet light. Herein, 1D BiPO₄ nanorod/2D g-C₃N₄ heterostructured photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via a facile one-step hydrothermal process for efficient visible light photocatalytic removal of NO. With simulated sunlight irradiation, the photocatalytic NO removal activity of the BiPO₄/g-C₃N₄ (64%) is much higher than that of the pure BiPO₄ (7.2%) and g-C₃N₄ (50%). Its excellent photocatalytic performance was ascribed to broadening the light response range to visible light and boosting the separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes. The NO photocatalytic removal mechanism was proposed by the free radical trapping experiment and in situ DRIFTS research. The present study might induce a new means to design BiPO₄-based heterostructured photocatalysts for the removal of NO from air pollution under simulated solar light irradiation.

Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO by NH3 over Mn–Cu Oxide Catalysts Supported by Highly Porous Silica Gel Powder: Comparative Investigation of Six Different Preparation Methods

In this study, Mn-based catalysts supported by highly porous silica gel powder (SSA up to 470 m2·g−1 and total pore volume up to 0.8 cm3·g−1) were prepared by six different methods in liquid solutions (electroless metal deposition, stepwise addition of a reducing agent, wet impregnation, incipient wetness impregnation, urea hydrolysis, and ammonia evaporation) and tested for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH3-SCR de-NOx). Prior to the activity test all the catalysts prepared were characterized by ICP-OES, SEM, EDX mapping, XPS, XRD and N2 adsorption techniques to provide the comprehensive information about their composition and morphology, investigate the dispersion of active components on the carrier surface, identify the chemical forms and structural properties of the catalytically active species of the catalysts prepared. The results revealed that all the methods applied for preparation of SCR de-NOx catalysts can ensure the uniform distribution of Mn species on the carrier surface, however as it is typical for preparation techniques in a liquid phase the significant reduction in SSA and pore volume along with increasing the loading was observed. Considering both the physicochemical properties and the catalytic performance of the catalysts the least effective preparation method was shown to be ammonia evaporation, while the most attractive techniques are incipient wetness impregnation and electroless metal deposition.

Review on the NO removal from flue gas by oxidation methods

Due to the increasingly strict emission standards of NOx on various industries, many traditional flue gas treatment methods have been gradually improved. Except for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) methods to remove NOx from flue gas, theoxidation method is paying more attention to NOx removal now because of the potential to simultaneously remove multiple pollutants from flue gas. This paper summarizes the efficiency, reaction conditions, effect factors, and reaction mechanism of NO oxidation from the aspects of liquid-phase oxidation, gas-phase oxidation, plasma technology, and catalytic oxidation. The effects of free radicals and active components of catalysts on NO oxidation and the combination of various oxidation methods are discussed in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of different oxidation methods are summarized, and the suggestions for future research on NO oxidation are put forward at the end. The review on the NO removal by oxidation methods can provide new ideas for future studies on the NO removal from flue gas.

Separation of Radioactive Elements from Rare Earth Element-Bearing Minerals

Rare earth elements (REE), originally found in various low-grade deposits in the form of different minerals, are associated with gangues that have similar physicochemical properties. However, the production of REE is attractive due to their numerous applications in advanced materials and new technologies. The presence of the radioactive elements, thorium and uranium, in the REE deposits, is a production challenge. Their separation is crucial to gaining a product with minimum radioactivity in the downstream processes, and to mitigate the environmental and safety issues. In the present study, different techniques for separation of the radioactive elements from REE are reviewed, including leaching, precipitation, solvent extraction, and ion chromatography. In addition, the waste management of the separated radioactive elements is discussed with a particular conclusion that such a waste stream can be employed as a valuable co-product.

Novel Fe-doped CePO4 catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3: The role of Fe3+ ions

Novel Fe-doped CePO₄ (Fe_xCe_1-x) catalyst was firstly successfully synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method and demonstrated excellent NH₃-SCR performance in comparison with FePO₄ and CePO₄. In order to study the promoting effects of Fe³⁺ ion on the NH₃-SCR activity of CePO₄ catalyst, various characterizations were conducted. It was found that NH₃ capacity of Fe_xCe_1-x catalyst was controlled by P sites and depended on their specific surface area. Interestingly, Fe species in Fe_xCe_1-x were not a Lewis acid site for NH₃ adsorption, but it could promote the activation of NH₃. More importantly, Fe³⁺ doping could induce the redox equilibrium of Fe³⁺ + Ce³⁺ ⇆ Fe²⁺ + Ce⁴⁺, which significantly improved redox properties of CePO₄ catalyst. Accordingly, improved catalytic activity of Fe_xCe_1-x catalysts could be attributed to the collective effects of the higher surface area, better redox properties and easily activated NH₃. Among them, superior redox property of Fe_xCe_1-x catalysts was the main reason boosting their high catalytic activity. Finally, the reaction process analyzed by in situ DRIFT proposed that the NH₃-SCR reaction over CePO₄ and Fe_xCe_1-x occurred mainly via Eley-Rideal mechanism. We anticipated this work could promote the development of novel NH₃-SCR catalyst.

A superior Fe-V-Ti catalyst with high activity and SO2 resistance for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3

A series of Fe-V-Ti oxide catalysts were prepared by a co-precipitation method, among which the Fe_0.1V_0.1TiO_x catalyst showed the optimal NH₃-SCR performance and excellent SO₂ resistance. Fe_0.1V_0.1TiO_x achieved > 90% NO_x conversion at 225-450 °C under a GHSV of 200,000 h^-1. When introducing SO₂ and H₂O to the SCR reaction for 24 h, the NO_x conversion maintained a level above 93% at 250 °C. The Raman and Mössbauer spectra showed that FeVO₄ and Fe₂O₃ coexisted on the surface of TiO₂. In Fe-V-Ti catalysts, the charge interaction between Fe₂O₃ and FeVO₄ as well as the electronic inductive effect between Fe and V species resulted in the improvement of SCR activity and N₂ selectivity at high temperatures. The NH₃-SCR process on the Fe_0.1V_0.1TiO_x catalyst mainly followed the Eley-Rideal (E-R) reaction mechanism with gaseous NO reacting with adsorbed NH₃ adsorbed species.

Ethanol-to-butadiene: the reaction and its catalysts

Catalytic conversion of ethanol is a promising technology for producing sustainable butadiene. This paper reviews the reaction and its catalysts, and discusses the challenges their development faces.

Design of Prussian blue analogue-derived double-cone structure Ce–Fe catalysts and their enhanced performance for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3

Prussian blue (PB) and its analogues (PBA) with different structures and adjustable compositions have been recognized as promising materials for catalysis, energy storage, and biological applications.

Effect of ceria morphology on the performance of MnOx/CeO2 catalysts in catalytic combustion of N,N-dimethylformamide

MnO_x/CeO₂ catalysts were prepared by a deposition–precipitation method, through loading MnO_x into ceria supports with different morphologies (nanorods (NRs), nanocubes (NCs) and nano-octahedrons (NOs)).

Spatially Confined Tuning the Interfacial Synergistic Catalysis in Mesochannels toward Selective Catalytic Reduction

Low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO _x) with NH₃ (NH₃-SCR) has been identified as a promising strategy to mitigate the pollution of NO _x. The fine control of synergistic effect and the suppression of aggregation of the active component, however, are still the challenge because of the weak interaction between the active component and matrix. In this work, a series of Ce-promoted Mn-based heterogeneous catalysts supported on mesoporous silica (SBA-15) with different Mn contents were prepared by two separated impregnation processes. Low-temperature NH₃-SCR activity demonstrates that the Mn content in the catalyst has a great influence on the activity of the NH₃-SCR reaction. The 20% MnO _x-CeO _x/SBA-15 catalyst exhibited the best catalytic performance in a broad temperature window. Moreover, it exhibits enhanced resistance to SO₂ and H₂O and long-term durability during 72 h reaction. The highly dispersive active phase, the formation of solid solution, the high ratio of Ce³⁺, and the spatial confinement effect largely contribute to the outstanding activity and durability of the 20% MnO _x-CeO _x/SBA-15 catalyst. Finally, a monolithic catalyst fabricated by the 20% MnO _x-CeO _x/SBA-15 catalyst powder and cordierite substrate show promising industrial application.

Development of cerium-based catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides: a review

Nitrogen oxides (NO_X) are major pollutants of the atmosphere, and selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides using ammonia as a reductant (NH₃-SCR) is an effective method to remove nitrogen oxides.

Alkali-driven active site shift of fast SCR with NH3 on V2O5–WO3/TiO2 catalyst via a novel Eley–Rideal mechanism

The heterogeneous SCR reaction obeys the well-known Eley–Rideal mechanism or Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism, while fast SCR over alkali-doping catalysts follows the another “E–R” mechanism with adsorbed NO₂.

NH3-SCR performance and the resistance to SO2 for Nb doped vanadium based catalyst at low temperatures

Niobium oxide as the promoter was doped in the V/WTi catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO. The results showed that the addition of Nb₂O₅ could improve the SCR activity at low temperatures and the 6wt.% additive was an appropriate dosage. The enhanced reaction activity of adsorbed ammonia species and the improved dispersion of vanadium oxide might be the reasons for the elevation of SCR activity at low temperatures. The resistances to SO₂ of 3V6Nb/WTi catalyst at different temperatures were investigated. FTIR spectrum and TG-FTIR result indicated that the deposition of ammonium sulfate species was the main deactivation reason at low temperatures, which still exhibited the reactivity with NO above 200°C on the catalyst surface. There was a synergistic effect among NH₃, H₂O and SO₂ that NH₃ and H₂O both accelerated the catalyst deactivation in the presence of SO₂ at 175°C. The thermal treatment at 400°C could regenerate the deactivated catalyst and get SCR activity recovered. The particle and monolith catalysts both kept stable NO_x conversion at 225°C with high concentration of H₂O and SO₂ during the long time tests.

Iron oxide-based catalysts for low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH3

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is now an established NO x removal technology for industrial flue gas as well as for diesel engine exhaust gas. However, it is still a big challenge to develop a novel low-temperature catalyst for NH3-SCR of NO x , especially at a temperature below 200°C. In the past few years, many studies have demonstrated the potential of iron (Fe)-based catalysts as low-temperature catalysts for NH3-SCR of NO x . Herein, we summarize the recent progress and performance of Fe-based catalysts for low-temperature NH3-SCR of NO x . Catalysts are divided into three categories: single Fe x O y , Fe-based multimetal oxide, and Fe-based multimetal oxide with support catalysts. The catalytic activity and selectivity of Fe-based catalysts are systematically analyzed and summarized in light of some key factors such as activation energy, specific surface area, morphology, crystallinity, preparation method and precursor, acid sites, calcination temperature, other metal dopant/substitute, and redox property of catalysts. In addition, H2O/SO2 tolerance and the NH3-SCR reaction mechanism over Fe-based catalysts, including Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, are emphasized. Lastly, the perspectives and future research directions of low-temperature NH3-SCR of NO x are also proposed.

Quantum chemistry study on the oxidation of NO catalyzed by ZSM5 supported Mn/Co–Al/Ce

The detailed mechanism of NO oxidation catalyzed by ZSM5 supported Mn/Co–Al/Ce is investigated and revealed by Quantum Chemistry Calculation. A three-step catalytic mechanism for NO oxidation is proposed and studied. Theoretical results show that, the activate energies of reactions catalyzed by ZSM-5 supported Mn/Co (71.1[Formula: see text]kJ/mol/80.6[Formula: see text]kJ/mol) are much lower than that obtained from the direct NO oxidation. This indicates that the ZSM-5 supported Mn/Co has an obvious catalytic effect. When the active center Si is replaced by Al and Ce, the activation energies are further decreased to about 40[Formula: see text]kJ/mol. This indicates that the doping of Al and Ce can obviously improve the catalytic effect. The theoretical study illustrates that the catalysts for NO oxidation not only relate to the supported transition metal such as Co and Mn, but also highly relate to the activity centers such as Al and Ce.

Ceria-based catalysts for low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

Low-temperature NH₃-SCR has attracted considerable attention owing to the vast demand in industrial furnaces and its energy-conserving feature. This review summarizes the recent advances in the application of ceria-based catalysts for low-temperature NH₃-SCR.

Promoting effect of Nd on the reduction of NO with NH3 over CeO2 supported by activated semi-coke: an in situ DRIFTS study

The morphology and NH₃-SCR performance of CeO₂-Nd/ASC catalysts.