Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3 by Using Novel Catalysts: State of the Art and Future Prospects

Spatial confinement: An effective strategy to improve H2O and SO2 resistance of the expandable graphite-modified TiO2-supported Pt nanocatalysts for CO oxidation

The expandable graphite (EG) modified TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by the high shear method using the TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and EG as precursors, in which the amount of EG doped in TiO2 was 10 wt.%. Followed by the impregnation method, adjusting the pH of the solution to 10, and using the electrostatic adsorption to achieve spatial confinement, the Pt elements were mainly distributed on the exposed TiO2, thus generating the Pt/10EG-TiO2-10 catalyst. The best CO oxidation activity with the excellent resistance to H2O and SO2 was obtained over the Pt/10EG-TiO2-10 catalyst: CO conversion after 36 hr of the reaction was ca. 85% under the harsh condition of 10 vol.% H2O and 100 ppm SO2 at a high gaseous hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 400,000 hr-1. Physicochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by various techniques. The results showed that the electrostatic adsorption, which riveted the Pt elements mainly on the exposed TiO2 of the support surface, reduced the dispersion of Pt NPs on EG and achieved the effective dispersion of Pt NPs, hence significantly improving CO oxidation activity over the Pt/10EG-TiO2-10 catalyst. The 10 wt.% EG doped in TiO2 caused the TiO2 support to form a more hydrophobic surface, which reduced the adsorption of H2O and SO2 on the catalyst, greatly inhibited deposition of the TiOSO4 and formation of the PtSO4 species as well as suppressed the oxidation of SO2, thus resulting in an improvement in the resistance to H2O and SO2 of the Pt/10EG-TiO2-10 catalyst.

New insights and reaction mechanisms in the design of catalysts for the synergistic removal of NOx and VOCs from coke oven flue gas: Dual regulation of oxidative properties and acidic sites

The acid and redox sites of the MnCo catalysts are simultaneously fine-tuned by the addition of V. A dual-function catalyst, designated as V0.5Mn5Co5, has been constructed for the synergistic removal of NOx and volatile organic compounds under coke-oven flue gas conditions, which exhibits > 95 % NOx conversion and > 80 % N2 selectivity at 180-300 °C. Meanwhile, it removes 70 % of ethylene at 240 °C. Besides it has excellent sulfur and water resistance. The characterization results indicate that this acid-redox dual sites modulation strategy appropriately weakens the oxidation capacity of the catalysts while increasing the surface acidity of the catalysts. The catalyst mainly performs SCR reaction through the E-R mechanism, and N2O is generated through the transition dehydrogenation of NH3 and NSCR reaction. Ethylene is first adsorbed on the catalyst surface then oxidized to form carbonate species, and finally decomposed to CO2. Ethylene oxidation follows the MvK mechanism. There is a competitive adsorption between NH3 and C2H4, and a mutual inhibition between the SCR reaction and the ethylene oxidation reaction. V0.5Mn5Co5 exhibits excellent synergistic removal of NOx and VOCs in coke oven flue gas compared with commercial VWTi catalysts, which indicates great promise for industrial application.

Construction of multifunctional interface engineering on Cu-SSZ-13@Ce-MnOx/Mesoporous-silica catalyst for boosting activity, SO2 tolerance and hydrothermal stability

Although small pore Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts have been successful as commercial catalysts for controlling NOx emissions from mobile sources, the challenges of high light-off temperature, SO2 tolerance and hydrothermal stability still need to be addressed. Here, we synthesized a multifunctional core-shell catalyst with Cu-SSZ-13 as the core phase and Ce-MnOx supported Mesoporous-silica (Meso-SiO2) as the shell phase via self-assembly and impregnation. The core-shell catalyst exhibited excellent low-temperature activity, SO2 tolerance and hydrothermal stability compared to the Cu-SSZ-13. The Ce-MnOx species dispersed in the shell are found to enhance both the acidic and oxidative properties of the core-shell catalyst. More critically, these species can rapidly activate NO and oxidize it to NO2, which allows the NH3-SCR reaction on the core-shell catalyst to be initiated in the shell phase. Meanwhile, Ce-MnOx species can react preferentially with SO2 as sacrifice components, effectively avoiding the sulfur inactivation of the copper active sites. Furthermore, the hydrophobic Meso-SiO2 shell provides an important barrier for the core phase, which reduces the loss of active species, acid sites and framework Al of the aged core-shell catalyst and mitigates the collapse of the zeolite framework. This work provides a new strategy for the design of novel and efficient NH3-SCR catalysts.

Integrated electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonium nitrate from dilute NO gas on metal organic frameworks-modified gas diffusion electrodes

The electrocatalytic conversion of NO offers a promising technology for not only removing the air pollutant but also synthesizing valuable chemicals. We design an integrated-electrocatalysis cell featuring metal organic framework (MOF)-modified gas diffusion electrodes for simultaneous capture of NO and generation of NH4NO3 under low-concentration NO flow conditions. Using 2% NO gas, the modified cathode exhibits a higher NH4+ yield and Faradaic efficiency than an unmodified cathode. Notably, the modified cathode shows a twofold increase in NH4+ production with 20 ppm NO gas supply. Theoretical calculations predict favorable transfer of adsorbed NO from the adsorption layer to the catalyst layer, which is experimentally confirmed by enhanced NO mass transfer from gas to electrolyte across the modified electrode. The adsorption layer-modified anode also exhibits a higher NO3- yield for NO electro-oxidation compared to the unmodified electrode under low NO concentration flow. Among various integrated-cell configurations, a single-chamber setup produces a higher NH4NO3 yield than a double-chamber setup. Furthermore, a higher NO utilization efficiency is obtained with a single-gasline operation mode, where the NO-containing gas flows sequentially from the cathode to the anode.

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.

Essential features of weak current for excellent enhancement of NOx reduction over monoatomic V-based catalyst

Human society is facing increasingly serious problems of environmental pollution and energy shortage, and up to now, achieving high NH3-SCR activity at ultra-low temperatures (<150 °C) remains challenging for the V-based catalysts with V content below 2%. In this study, the monoatomic V-based catalyst under the weak current-assisted strategy can completely convert NOx into N2 at ultra-low temperature with V content of 1.36%, which shows the preeminent turnover frequencies (TOF145 °C = 1.97×10-3 s-1). The improvement of catalytic performance is mainly attributed to the enhancement catalysis of weak current (ECWC) rather than electric field, which significantly reduce the energy consumption of the catalytic system by more than 90%. The further mechanism research for the ECWC based on a series of weak current-assisted characterization means and DFT calculations confirms that migrated electrons mainly concentrate around the V single atoms and increase the proportion of antibonding orbitals, which make the V-O chemical bond weaker (electron scissors effect) and thus accelerate oxygen circulation. The novel current-assisted catalysis in the present work can potentially apply to other environmental and energy fields.

Utilization of Reactive Nitrogen Compounds for Nitrogen Circular Economy

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) should be purified according to environmental regulations, being restricted increasingly year by year. A wide variety of denitration technologies, such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx to nitrogen (N2) and NOx storage reduction (NSR) to N2 by injecting reducing agents like ammonia (NH3), has so far been developed practically. Sophisticated catalytic approaches are perhaps mandatory for the sustainability in energy including complete purification of NOx. As one of the solutions to overcome problems for environment and resource simultaneously, this concept article focuses on the utilization of reactive nitrogen (Nr) compounds, mainly NOx, for encouraging an opening to consider nitrogen circular economy. For the recycling of NOx via NH3, a challenging but rational catalytic technology can be proposed by an alternate switching the inlet gas between NOx containing oxidative gas and H2 containing reductive one without an operation to change the reaction temperature. Considering the reactivity of NOx higher than that of N2, this kind of NOx to NH3 (NTA) process is promising for synthesizing NH3, being valuable not only as fertilizer but also as fuel in near future.

Enhancing Water Tolerance and N2 Selectivity in NH3-SCR Catalysts by Protecting Mn Oxide Nanoparticles in a Silicalite-1 Layer

Mn-based catalysts are promising candidates for eliminating harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) via selective catalytic reduction with ammonia (NH3-SCR) due to their inherent strong redox abilities. However, poor water tolerance and low N2 selectivity are still the main limitations for practical applications. Herein, we succeeded in preparing an active catalyst for NH3-SCR with improved water tolerance and N2 selectivity based on protecting MnOx with a secondary growth of a hydrophobic silicalite-1. This protection suppressed catalyst deactivation by water adsorption. Interestingly, impregnating MnOx on MesoTS-1 followed by silicalite-1 protection allowed for a higher dispersion of MnOx species, thus increasing the concentration of acid sites. Consequently, the level of N2O formation is decreased. These improvements resulted in a broader operating temperature of NOx conversion and a modification of the NH3-SCR mechanism. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy analysis revealed that unprotected Mn/MesoTS-1 mainly followed the Eley-Rideal mechanism, while Mn/MesoTS-1@S1 followed both Langmuir-Hinshelwood and Eley-Rideal mechanisms.

Efficient In/SSZ-39 catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with CH4

The M/SSZ-39 catalysts (M = In, Co, Cu, Fe) with different metal species and metal loadings were synthesized using the wet impregnation method on a small-pore SSZ-39 molecular sieve. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-dehydrogenation and hydrogen temperature program reduction (H2-TPR) were employed to characterize the effects of various metal components and metal loadings on the performance of CH4 selective catalytic reduction of NO reaction (CH4-SCR). The characterization results showed that the In/SSZ-39 catalyst exhibited significantly higher catalytic activity compared to the Cu-, Co-, and Fe/SSZ-39 catalysts, suggesting that indium (In) is a more suitable active ingredient for the CH4-SCR reaction. The xIn/SSZ-39 (x = 1, 2, 3, x represents the In loadings of 1.0 wt%, 2.0 wt% and 3.0 wt%) catalysts, with different In loadings, all present excellent CH4-SCR performance. By varying the In loadings, the type of In species present in the catalyst can be regulated, thus enhancing DeNOx activity and CH4 selectivity in the CH4-SCR reaction. At a low temperature of 400 °C and a low CH4/NO feed ratio (CH4/NO = 1), the 3In/SSZ-39 catalyst, featuring highly active InOx clusters, achieves the best low-temperature CH4-SCR performance, with a high NO conversion rate of up to 90% and a CH4 selectivity of up to 74.2%.

Gas-Phase Regeneration of Metal-Poisoned V2O5-WO3/TiO2 NH3-SCR Catalysts via a Masking and Reconstruction Strategy

Renewing metal-poisoned NH3-SCR catalysts holds great potential for mitigating environmental pollution and utilizing hazardous wastes simultaneously. Ionic compounds containing heavy metals often exhibit limited solubility due to their high polarizability, making traditional washing techniques ineffective in removing heavy metal poisons. This study presents a gas-based method for regenerating heavy-metal-poisoned V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts employed in NH3-SCR techniques. The regeneration is achieved by employing a masking and reconstruction strategy, which involves the in situ formation of NO2 to mediate the production of SO3. This enables the effective bonding of Pb and triggers the reconstruction of active VOx sites. In situ spectroscopy confirms that the sulfation of PbO restores acidity, while the occupied effect resulting from the sulfation of TiO2 promotes the formation of more polymeric VOx species. Consequently, the regenerated catalyst exhibits enhanced activity and superior resistance to metal poisons compared with the fresh catalyst. The innovative method offers a promising solution for extending the lifespan of poisoned catalysts, reducing waste generation, and enhancing the efficiency of NH3-SCR systems.

Achieving High Dispersion of Pd in Small-Pore Zeolite SSZ-13: A High-Efficiency Low-Temperature NOx Adsorber

Passive NO x adsorber (PNA) materials are primarily considered for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions during the low-temperature cold start of a motor vehicle. Pd/SSZ-13 has attracted considerable attention because of its outstanding hydrothermal stability and sulfur resistance. Optimizing the dispersion of precious metal Pd in Pd/SSZ-13 is crucial for enhancing PNA performance and nitrogen oxide adsorption capability. In this study, we prepared Pd/SSZ-13 using different methods and evaluated their influence on the NO x adsorption capability. The characterization results show that the dispersion of precious metal Pd in the Pd/SSZ-13 catalyst prepared by the quantitative ion-exchange method is as high as 92.13%, and the loading amount is as high as 98.93%. Pd predominantly exists as Pd2+, achieving near-total loading and further improving the catalyst's NO x adsorption capacity. This study offers innovative approaches and methods for applying Pd/SSZ-13 as a PNA material, serving as a reference for its further optimization and performance enhancement. Continued research into the preparation and adsorption performance of Pd/SSZ-13 materials could offer solutions to reduce motor vehicle nitrogen oxide emissions.

Unraveling the Mechanistic Origin of High N2 Selectivity in Ammonia Selective Catalytic Oxidation on CuO-Based Catalyst

NH3 emissions from industrial sources and possibly future energy production constitute a threat to human health because of their toxicity and participation in PM2.5 formation. Ammonia selective catalytic oxidation to N2 (NH3-SCO) is a promising route for NH3 emission control, but the mechanistic origin of achieving high N2 selectivity remains elusive. Here we constructed a highly N2-selective CuO/TiO2 catalyst and proposed a CuOx dimer active site based on the observation of a quadratic dependence of NH3-SCO reaction rate on CuOx loading, ac-STEM, and ab initio thermodynamic analysis. Combining this with the identification of a critical N2H4 intermediate by in situ DRIFTS characterization, a comprehensive N2H4-mediated reaction pathway was proposed by DFT calculations. The high N2 selectivity originated from the preference for NH2 coupling to generate N2H4 over NH2 dehydrogenation on the CuOx dimer active site. This work could pave the way for the rational design of efficient NH3-SCO catalysts.

Atom Pairing Enhances Sulfur Resistance in Low-Temperature SCR via Upshifting the Lowest Unoccupied States of Cerium

Environmentally benign cerium-based catalysts are promising alternatives to toxic vanadium-based catalysts for controlling NOx emissions via selective catalytic reduction (SCR), but conventional cerium-based catalysts unavoidably suffer from SO2 poisoning in low-temperature SCR. We develop a strongly sulfur-resistant Ce1+1/TiO2 catalyst by spatially confining Ce atom pairs to different anchoring sites of anatase TiO2(001) surfaces. Experimental results combined with theoretical calculations demonstrate that strong electronic interactions between the paired Ce atoms upshift the lowest unoccupied states to an energy level higher than the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of SO2 so as to be catalytically inert in SO2 oxidation but slightly lower than HOMO of NH3 so that Ce1+1/TiO2 has desired ability toward NH3 activation required for SCR. Hence, Ce1+1/TiO2 shows higher SCR activity and excellent stability in the presence of SO2 at low temperatures with respect to supported single Ce atoms. This work provides a general strategy to develop sulfur-resistant catalysts by tuning the electronic states of active sites for low-temperature SCR, which has implications for practical applications with energy-saving requirements.

IrSn Bimetallic Clusters Confined in MFI Zeolites for CO Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx in the Presence of Excess O2

We developed a simple strategy for preparing IrSn bimetallic clusters encapsulated in pure silicon zeolites via a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis by using diethylamine as a stabilizing agent. A series of investigations verified that metal species have been confined successfully in the inner of MFI zeolites. IrSn bimetallic cluster catalysts were efficient for the CO selective catalytic reduction of NOx in the presence of excess O2. Furthermore, the 13CO temperature-programmed surface reaction results demonstrated that NO2 and N2O could form when most of the CO was transformed into CO2 and that Sn modification could passivate CO oxidation on the IrSn bimetallic clusters, leading to more reductants that could be used for NOx reduction at high temperatures. Furthermore, SO2 can also influence the NOx conversion by inhibiting the oxidation of CO. This study provides a new strategy for preparing efficient environmental catalysts with a high dispersion of metal species.

Photocatalytic NO x removal and recovery: progress, challenges and future perspectives

The excessive production of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) from energy production, agricultural activities, transportation, and other human activities remains a pressing issue in atmospheric environment management. NO x serves both as a significant pollutant and a potential feedstock for energy carriers. Photocatalytic technology for NO x removal and recovery has received widespread attention and has experienced rapid development in recent years owing to its environmental friendliness, mild reaction conditions, and high efficiency. This review systematically summarizes the recent advances in photocatalytic removal, encompassing NO x oxidation removal (including single and synergistic removal and NO3 - decomposition), NO x reduction to N2, and the emergent NO x upcycling into green ammonia. Special focus is given to the molecular understanding of the interfacial nitrogen-associated reaction mechanisms and their regulation pathways. Finally, the status and the challenges of photocatalytic NO x removal and recovery are critically discussed and future outlooks are proposed for their potential practical application.

Modulating the Microstructure and Surface Acidity of MnO2 by Doping-Induced Phase Transition for Simultaneous Removal of Toluene and NOx at Low Temperature

It is a great challenge to remove VOCs and NOx simultaneously from flue gas in nonelectric industries. This study focuses on the construction of Fe-MnO2 catalysts that perform well in the simultaneous removal of toluene and NOx at low temperatures. Utilizing the Fe-induced phase transition of MnO2, Fe-MnO2-F&R catalysts with a composite morphology of nanoflowers and nanorods were successfully prepared that provided an abundant microporous structure to facilitate the diffusion of molecules of different sizes. Through in-depth investigation of the active sites and reaction mechanism, we discovered that Fe-induced phase transition could modulate the surface acidity of Fe-MnO2-F&R. The higher concentration of surface Mn4+ provided numerous Brønsted acid sites, which effectively promoted the activation of toluene to reactive intermediates, such as benzyl alcohol/benzoate/maleic acid. Simultaneously, Fe provided a large number of Lewis acid sites that anchor and activate NH3 species, thereby inhibiting NH3 nonselective oxidation. Furthermore, additional Brønsted acid sites were generated during the simultaneous reaction process, enhancing toluene activation. Consequently, the simultaneous removal of toluene and NOx was achieved through regulation of the physical structure and the concentration of acidic sites. The present work provides new insights into the rational design of bifunctional catalysts for the synergistic control of VOCs and NOx emissions.

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.

Nitrate Upcycling Mediated by Organonickel Catalysis

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are major environmental pollutants and to neutralize this long-term environmental threat, new catalytic methods are needed. Although there are biological denitrification processes involving four different enzymatic reactions to convert nitrate (NO3 -) into dinitrogen (N2), it is unfortunately difficult to apply in industry due to the complexity of the processes. In particular, nitrate is difficult to functionalize because of its chemical stability. Thus, there is no organometallic catalysis to convert nitrate into useful chemicals. Herein, we present a nickel pincer complex that is effective as a bifunctional catalyst to stepwise deoxygenate NO3 - by carbonylation and further through C-N coupling. By using this nickel catalysis, nitrate salts can be selectively transformed into various oximes (>20 substrates) with excellent conversion (>90 %). Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the highly inert nitrate ion can be functionalized to produce useful chemicals by a new organonickel catalysis. Our results show that the NOx conversion and utilization (NCU) technology is a successful pathway for environmental restoration coupled with value-added chemical generation.

Coverage-sensitive mechanism of electrochemical NO reduction on the SrTiO3(001) surface: a DFT investigation

Due to its adverse environmental and human health hazards, addressing the elimination of nitric oxide (NO) has become a pressing concern for modern society. Currently, electrochemical NO reduction provides a new alternative to traditional selective catalytic reduction technology under mild reaction conditions. However, the complexity and variability of products make the coverage of NO an influencing factor that needs to be investigated. Hence, this study delves into the coverage-sensitive mechanism of electrochemical NO reduction on cost-effective perovskite catalysts, using SrTiO3 as an example, through density functional theory calculations. Phase diagrams analysis reveals that the coverage range from 0.25 to 1.00 monolayer (ML) coverage is favorable for NO adsorption. Gibbs free energy results indicate that the selectivity is significantly influenced by NO coverage. NH3 is likely to be generated at low coverage, while N2O and N2 are more likely to be produced at high coverage through a dimer mechanism. Charge analysis suggests that the charge transfer and Ti-O bond strength between reactants and catalysts are crucial factors. This work not only provides deep insights into coverage-sensitive reaction mechanisms but also is a guideline towards further rational design of high-performance perovskite catalysts.

Mechanisms for deNOx and deN2O Processes on FAU Zeolite with a Bimetallic Cu-Fe Dimer in the Presence of a Hydroxyl Group-DFT Theoretical Calculations

In this paper, a detailed mechanism is discussed for two processes: deNOx and deN2O. An FAU catalyst was used for the reaction with Cu-Fe bimetallic adsorbates represented by a dimer with bridged oxygen. Partial hydration of the metal centres in the dimer was considered. Ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory were used. The electron parameters of the structures obtained were also analysed. Visualisation of the orbitals of selected structures and their interpretations are presented. The presented research allowed a closer look at the mechanisms of processes that are very common in the automotive and chemical industries. Based on theoretical modelling, it was possible to propose the most efficient catalyst that could find potential application in industry-this is the FAU catalyst with a Cu-O-Fe bimetallic dimer with a hydrated copper centre. The essential result of our research is the improvement in the energetics of the reaction mechanism by the presence of an OH group, which will influence the way NO and NH3 molecules react with each other in the deNOx process depending on the industrial conditions of the process. Our theoretical results suggest also how to proceed with the dosage of NO and N2O during the industrial process to increase the desired reaction effect.

Potential Strategy to Control the Organic Components of Condensable Particulate Matter: A Critical Review

More and more attention has been paid to condensable particulate matter (CPM) since its emissions have surpassed that of filterable particulate matter (FPM) with the large-scale application of ultralow-emission reform. CPM is a gaseous material in the flue stack but instantly turns into particles after leaving the stack. It is composed of inorganic and organic components. Organic components are an important part of CPM, and they are an irritant, teratogenic, and carcinogenic, which triggers photochemical smog, urban haze, and acid deposition. CPM organic components can aggravate air pollution and climate change; therefore, consideration should be given to them. Based on existing methods for removing atmospheric organic pollutants and combined with the characteristics of CPM organic components, we provide a critical overview from the aspects of (i) fundamental cognition of CPM, (ii) common methods to control CPM organic components, and (iii) catalytic oxidation of CPM organic components. As one of the most encouraging methods, catalytic oxidation is discussed in detail, especially in combination with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, to meet the growing demands for multipollutant control (MPC). We believe that this review is inspiring for a fuller understanding and deeper exploration of promising approaches to control CPM organic components.

Recycling of manganese ore desulfurization slag for preparation of low-temperature NH3-SCR catalyst with good scale-up production performance

Considering the synergistic carbon/pollution reduction and resource utilization, this study proposes recycling of manganese desulfurization slag to prepare low-temperature NH3 -SCR catalyst based on solid-state ion-exchange. The desulfurization slag was hydrothermally treated to be support under mild conditions, with the parent manganese oxide ore serving as active component. Hydrothermal treatment with a desulfurization slag to NaOH mass ratio of 1.0, at 100 °C for 10 h were actually cost-effective conditions for DS recycling. The catalyst with 13.6 wt% of Mn and activated at 450 °C for 2 h in air (MO3/DSH-450 -2) performed the best, with a NO conversion of 86.9% at 150 °C and 10000 h-1, and up to 92.6% at 175 °C. Hydrothermal treatment of DS, SSIE and calcination activation resulting in a rich surface acidity and lattice oxygen of MO3/DSH, coupled with better chemical state distribution of active metal sites, promoting the NH3 -SCR activity. The scale-up produced MO3/DSH-G maintained 90.4% NOx conversion at 175 °C, showing good robustness, flexibility, and better sulfur/water resistance. The development of MO3/DSH catalyst may make full use of natural manganese ore, is a typical coupling strategy for carbon-pollutant synergistic emission reduction and resource fully utilize.

Changes of Nitrate Activity and Byproduct Distribution Characteristics for Synergistic NOx and Dioxin Abatement over V2O5/AC Catalyst

The simultaneous removal of NOx and dioxins has been considered an economical and effective technology of controlling multipollutant flue gas in the context of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality". However, this technology has not yet been implemented in practical situations, because the interactive relationship between the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction and dioxin catalytic oxidation lacks a deep understanding, especially on a carbon-based catalyst. In this research, the influence of NO and NH3 on the oxidation characteristics and byproducts distribution of dibenzofuran (DBF) was studied on V2O5/AC catalyst. Results indicated that NH3 has a stronger inhibition effect for DBF catalytic oxidation than NO due to obvious competitive adsorption between NH3 and DBF on the V2O5/AC catalyst. In addition, although both NO and NH3 inhibit the complete degradation of DBF, their effects on the byproduct distribution are not consistent. NO primarily affects the level of oxygen-containing byproducts, while NH3 primarily affects the level of alkane byproducts. Furthermore, the SCR reaction activity demonstrated a reduction when DBF was present. The occupation of V2O5 sites by DBF and its oxidizing intermediates has hindered the production of monodentate nitrate and the reactivity of bridged nitrate, resulting in a decrease in SCR activity via the L-H mechanism. This work aims to provide theoretical guidance for simultaneous removal of NOx and dioxins in industrial fumes.

Selective Electrocatalytic Conversion of Nitric Oxide to High Value-Added Chemicals

The artificial disturbance in the nitrogen cycle has necessitated an urgent need for nitric oxide (NO) removal. Electrochemical technologies for NO conversion have gained increasing attention in recent years. This comprehensive review presents the recent advancements in selective electrocatalytic conversion of NO to high value-added chemicals, with specific emphasis on catalyst design, electrolyte composition, mass diffusion, and adsorption energies of key intermediate species. Furthermore, the review explores the synergistic electrochemical co-electrolysis of NO with specific carbon source molecules, enabling the synthesis of a range of valuable chemicals with C─N bonds. It also provides in-depth insights into the intricate reaction pathways and underlying mechanisms, offering valuable perspectives on the challenges and prospects of selective NO electrolysis. By advancing comprehension and fostering awareness of nitrogen cycle balance, this review contributes to the development of efficient and sustainable electrocatalytic systems for the selective synthesis of valuable chemicals from NO.

Mn-Based Mullites for Environmental and Energy Applications

Mn-based mullite oxides AMn2O5 (A = lanthanide, Y, Bi) is a novel type of ternary catalyst in terms of their electronic and geometric structures. The coexistence of pyramid Mn3+-O and octahedral Mn4+-O makes the d-orbital selectively active toward various catalytic reactions. The alternative edge- and corner-sharing stacking configuration constructs the confined active sites and abundant active oxygen species. As a result, they tend to show superior catalytic behaviors and thus gain great attention in environmental treatment and energy conversion and storage. In environmental applications, Mn-based mullites have been demonstrated to be highly active toward low-temperature oxidization of CO, NO, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), etc. Recent research further shows that mullites decompose O3 and ozonize VOCs from -20 °C to room temperature. Moreover, mullites enhance oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) and sulfur reduction reactions (SRR), critical kinetic steps in air-battery and Li-S batteries, respectively. Their distinctive structures also facilitate applications in gas-sensitive sensing, ionic conduction, high mobility dielectrics, oxygen storage, piezoelectricity, dehydration, H2O2 decomposition, and beyond. A comprehensive review from basic physicochemical properties to application certainly not only gains a full picture of mullite oxides but also provides new insights into designing heterogeneous catalysts.

Phosphotungstic Acid as a Dechlorination Agent Collaborates with CeO2 for Synergistic Catalytic Elimination of NOx and Chlorobenzene

The development of efficient technologies for the synergistic catalytic elimination of NOx and chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) remains challenging. Chlorine species from CVOCs are prone to catalyst poisoning, which increases the degradation temperature of CVOCs and fails to balance the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with the NH3 (NH3-SCR) performance. Herein, synergistic catalytic elimination of NOx and chlorobenzene has been originally demonstrated by using phosphotungstic acid (HPW) as a dechlorination agent to collaborate with CeO2. The conversion of chlorobenzene was over 80% at 270 °C, and the NOx conversion and N2 selectivity reached over 95% at 270-420 °C. HPW not only allowed chlorine species to leave as inorganic chlorine but also enhanced the Bro̷nsted acidity of CeO2. The NH4+ produced in the NH3-SCR process can effectively promote the dechlorination of chlorobenzene at low temperatures. HPW remained structurally stable in the synergistic reaction, resulting in good water resistance and long-term stability. This work provides a cheaper and more environmentally friendly strategy to address chlorine poisoning in the synergistic reaction and offers new guidance for multipollutant control.

Spatial Distribution of Brønsted Acid Sites Determines the Mobility of Reactive Cu Ions in the Cu-SSZ-13 Catalyst during the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3

The formation of dimer-Cu species, which serve as the active sites of the low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR), relies on the mobility of CuI species in the channels of the Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts. Herein, the key role of framework Brønsted acid sites in the mobility of reactive Cu ions was elucidated via a combination of density functional theory calculations, in situ impedance spectroscopy, and in situ diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. When the number of framework Al sites decreases, the Brønsted acid sites decrease, leading to a systematic increase in the diffusion barrier for [Cu(NH3)2]+ and less formation of highly reactive dimer-Cu species, which inhibits the low-temperature NH3-SCR reactivity and vice versa. When the spatial distribution of Al sites is uneven, the [Cu(NH3)2]+ complexes tend to migrate from an Al-poor cage to an Al-rich cage (e.g., cage with paired Al sites), which effectively accelerates the formation of dimer-Cu species and hence promotes the SCR reaction. These findings unveil the mechanism by which framework Brønsted acid sites influence the intercage diffusion and reactivity of [Cu(NH3)2]+ complexes in Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts and provide new insights for the development of zeolite-based catalysts with excellent SCR activity by regulating the microscopic spatial distribution of framework Brønsted acid sites.

Improving the hydrothermal stability of Al-rich Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite via Pr-ion modification

Al-rich (Si/Al = 4-6) Cu-SSZ-13 has been recognized as one of the potential catalysts to replace the commercial Cu-SSZ-13 (Si/Al = 10-12) towards ammonia-assisted selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR). However, poor hydrothermal stability is a great obstacle for Al-rich zeolites to meet the catalytic applications containing water vapor. Herein, we demonstrate that the hydrothermal stability of Al-rich Cu-SSZ-13 can be dramatically enhanced via Pr-ion modification. Particularly, after high-temperature hydrothermal aging (HTA), CuPr1.2-SSZ-13-HTA with an optimal Pr content of 1.2 wt% exhibits a T80 (temperature window of NO conversion above 80%) window of 225-550 °C and a T90 window of 250-350 °C. These values are superior to those of Cu-SSZ-13-HTA (225-450 °C for T80 and no T90 window). The results of X-ray diffraction Rietveld refinement, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and spectral characterization reveal that Pr ions mainly located in the eight-membered rings (8MRs) in SSZ-13 zeolite can inhibit the generation of inactive CuOx during hydrothermal aging. This finding is further supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which suggest that the presence of Pr ions restrains the transformation from Cu2+ ions in 6MRs into CuOx, resulting in enhanced hydrothermal stability. It is also noted that an excessive amount of Pr ions in Cu-SSZ-13 would result in the production of CuOx that causes the decline of catalytic performance. The present work provides a promising strategy for creating a hydrothermally stable Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite catalyst by adding secondary metal ions.

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.

Efficient Pt/KFI zeolite catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by hydrogen

Aiming at purification of NOx from hydrogen internal combustion engines (HICEs), the hydrogen selective catalytic reduction (H2-SCR) reaction was investigated over a series of Pt/KFI zeolite catalysts. H2 can readily reduce NOx to N2 and N2O while O2 inhibited the deNOx efficiency by consuming the reductant H2. The Pt/KFI zeolite catalysts with Pt loading below 0.1 wt.% are optimized H2-SCR catalysts due to its suitable operation temperature window since high Pt loading favors the H2-O2 reaction which lead to the insufficient of reactants. Compared to metal Pt0 species, Ptδ+ species showed lower activation energy of H2-SCR reaction and thought to be as reasonable active sites. Further, Eley-Rideal (E-R) reaction mechanism was proposed as evidenced by the reaction orders in kinetic studies. Last, the optimized reactor was designed with hybrid Pt/KFI catalysts with various Pt loading which achieve a high NOx conversion in a wide temperature range.

Gd-modified Mn-Co oxides derived from layered double hydroxides for improved catalytic activity and H2O/SO2 tolerance in NH3-SCR of NOx reaction

Metal oxides derived from layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are expected to obtain low-temperature denitrification (de-NOx) catalysts with high catalytic activity and H2O/SO2 tolerance in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3. In current work, we successfully prepared Gd-modified Mn-Co metal oxides derived from Gd-modified Mn-Co LDHs. The resultant Gd-modified Mn-Co metal oxides exhibit excellent catalytic activity and high H2O/SO2 tolerance in the NH3-SCR de-NOx reaction. The reasons for the enhancement can be ascribed to the unique surface physicochemical properties inherited from LDHs and the modification of Gd, which increase the specific surface area, improve the relative content of Mn4+ and Co3+ on the surface, enhance the number of acidic sites, strengthen the reducibility of catalyst, resulting in the enhanced catalytic activity and H2O/SO2 tolerance. Additionally, it is demonstrated that the NH3-SCR de-NOx reaction occurred on the surface of Gd-modified Mn-Co oxides followed both Eley-Rideal (E-R) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanisms. This study provides us with a design approach to promote catalytic activity and H2O/SO2 tolerance through morphology control and rare earth modification.

Catalytic removal of gaseous pollutant NO using CO: Catalyst structure and reaction mechanism

Carbon monoxide (CO) has recently been considered an ideal reducing agent to replace NH3 in selective catalytic reduction of NOx (NH3-SCR). This shift is particularly relevant in diesel engines, coal-fired industry, the iron and steel industry, of which generate substantial amounts of CO due to incomplete combustion. Developing high-performance catalysts remain a critical challenge for commercializing this technology. The active sites on catalyst surface play a crucial role in the various microscopic reaction steps of this reaction. This work provides a comprehensive overview and insights into the reaction mechanism of active sites on transition metal- and noble metal-based catalysts, including the types of intermediates and active sites, as well as the conversion mechanism of active molecules or atoms. In addition, the effects of factors such as O2, SO2, and alkali metals, on NO reduction by CO were discussed, and the prospects for catalyst design are proposed. It is hoped to provide theoretical guidance for the rational design of efficient CO selective catalytic denitration materials based on the structure-activity relations.

Catalytic degradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) over Ce-Mn-Ti composite oxide catalysts

Developing industrially moldable catalysts with harmonized redox performance and acidity is of great significance for the efficient disposal of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in actual exhaust gasses. Here, commercial TiO2, typically used for molding catalysts, was chosen as the carrier to fabricate a series of Ce0.02Mn0-0.24TiOx materials with different Mn doping ratios and employed for chlorobenzene (CB) destruction. The introduction of Mn remarkedly facilitated the synergistic effect of each element via the electron transfer processes: Ce3++Mn4+/3+↔Ce4++Mn3+/2+ and Mn4+/3++Ti4+↔Mn3+/2++Ti3+. These synergistic interactions in Ce0.02Mn0.04-0.24TiOx, especially Ce0.02Mn0.16TiOx, significantly elevated the active oxygen species, oxygen vacancies and redox properties, endowing the superior catalytic oxidation of CB. When the Mn doping amount increased to 0.24, a separate Mn3O4 phase appeared, which in turn might weaken the synergistic effect. Furthermore, the acidity of Ce0.02Mn0.04-0.24TiOx was decreased with the Mn doping, regulating the balance of redox property and acidity. Notably, Ce0.02Mn0.16TiOx featured relatively abundant B-acid sites. Its coordinating redox ability and moderate acidity promoted the deep oxidation of CB and RCOOH- intermediates, as well as the rapid desorption of Cl species, thus obtaining sustainable reactivity. In comparison, CeTiOx owned the strongest acidity, however, its poor redox property was not sufficient for the timely oxidative decomposition of the easier adsorbed CB, resulting in its rapid deactivation. This finding provides a promising strategy for the construction of efficient commercial molding catalysts to decompose the industrial-scale CVOCs.

Effects of impregnation sequence on the NH3-SCR activity and hydrothermal stability of a Ce-Nb/SnO2 catalyst

Hydrothermal stability is crucial for the practical application of deNOx catalyst on diesel vehicles, for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR). SnO2-based materials possess superior hydrothermal stability, which is attractive for the development of NH3-SCR catalyst. In this work, a series of Ce-Nb/SnO2 catalysts, with Ce and Nb loading on SnO2 support, were prepared by impregnation method. It was found that, the NH3-SCR activities and hydrothermal stabilities of the Ce-Nb/SnO2 catalysts significantly varied with the impregnation sequences, and the Ce-Nb(f)/SnO2 catalyst that firstly impregnated Nb and then impregnated Ce exhibited the best performance. The characterization results revealed that Ce-Nb(f)/SnO2 possessed appropriate acidity and redox capability. Furthermore, the strong synergistic effect between Nb and Sn species stabilized the structure and maintained the dispersion of acid sites. This study may provide a new understanding for the effect of impregnation sequence on activity and hydrothermal stability and a new environmental-friendly NH3-SCR catalyst with potential applications for NOx removal from diesel and hydrogen-fueled engines.

Combined Experimental and Density Functional Theory Study on the Mechanism of the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH3 over Metal-Free Carbon-Based Catalysts

Metal-free carbon-based catalysts are attracting much attention in the low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR). However, the mechanism of the NH3-SCR reaction on carbon-based catalysts is still controversial, which severely limits the development of carbon-based SCR catalysts. Herein, we successfully reconstructed carbon-based catalysts through oxidation treatment with nitric acid, thereby enhancing their low-temperature activity in NH3-SCR. Combining experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we proposed a previously unreported NH3-SCR reaction mechanism over carbon-based catalysts. We demonstrated that C-OH and C-O-C groups not only effectively activate NH3 but also remarkedly promote the decomposition of intermediate NH2NO. This study enhances the understanding of the NH3-SCR mechanism on carbon-based catalysts and paves the way to develop low-temperature metal-free SCR catalysts.

In Situ UV-Vis-NIR Absorption Spectroscopy and Catalysis

This review highlights in situ UV-vis-NIR range absorption spectroscopy in catalysis. A variety of experimental techniques identifying reaction mechanisms, kinetics, and structural properties are discussed. Stopped flow techniques, use of laser pulses, and use of experimental perturbations are demonstrated for in situ studies of enzymatic, homogeneous, heterogeneous, and photocatalysis. They access different time scales and are applicable to different reaction systems and catalyst types. In photocatalysis, femto- and nanosecond resolved measurements through transient absorption are discussed for tracking excited states. UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopies for structural characterization are demonstrated especially for Cu and Fe exchanged zeolites and metalloenzymes. This requires combining different spectroscopies. Combining magnetic circular dichroism and resonance Raman spectroscopy is especially powerful. A multitude of phenomena can be tracked on transition metal catalysts on various supports, including changes in oxidation state, adsorptions, reactions, support interactions, surface plasmon resonances, and band gaps. Measurements of oxidation states, oxygen vacancies, and band gaps are shown on heterogeneous catalysts, especially for electrocatalysis. UV-vis-NIR absorption is burdened by broad absorption bands. Advanced analysis techniques enable the tracking of coking reactions on acid zeolites despite convoluted spectra. The value of UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy to catalyst characterization and mechanistic investigation is clear but could be expanded.

Strong metal oxide-zeolite interactions during selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides

In response to the stricter EU VII emission standards and the "150 ℃ challenge", selective catalytic reduction by ammonia (NH3-SCR) catalysts for motor vehicles are required to achieve high NO conversion below 200 °C. Compounding metal oxides with zeolites is an important strategy to design the low-temperature SCR catalysts. Here, we original prepared Cu-SSZ-13 @ MnGdOx (Cu-Z @ MGO), which achieved over 90% NO conversion and 95% N2 selectivity at 150 ℃. It has been demonstrated that a uniform mesoporous loaded layer of MGO grows on Cu-Z, and a recrystallization zone appears at the MGO-Cu-Z interface. We discover that the excellent low-temperature SCR activity derives from the strong metal oxide-zeolite interaction (SMZI) effects. The SMZI effects cause the anchor and high dispersion of MGO on the surface of Cu-Z. Driven by the SMZI effects, the Mn3+/Mn4+ redox cycle ensures the low and medium temperature-SCR activity and the Cu2+/Cu+ redox cycle guarantees the medium and high temperature-SCR activity. The introduction of MGO improves the reaction activity of -NH2 species adsorbed at Mn sites at 150 ℃, achieving a cycle of reduction and oxidation reactions at low temperatures. This strategy of inducing SMZI effects of metal oxides and zeolites paves a way for development of high-performance catalysts.

Low-temperature NH3-SCR performance of a novel Chlorella@Mn composite denitrification catalyst

The synthesis process of conventional Mn-based denitrification catalysts is relatively complex and expensive. In this paper, a resource application of chlorella was proposed, and a Chlorella@Mn composite denitrification catalyst was innovatively synthesized by electrostatic interaction. The Chlorella@Mn composite denitrification catalyst prepared under the optimal conditions (0.54 g/L Mn2+ concentration, 20 million chlorellas/mL concentration, 450°C calcination temperature) exhibited a well-developed pore structure and large specific surface area (122 m2/g). Compared with MnOx alone, the Chlorella@Mn composite catalyst achieved superior performance, with ∼100% NH3 selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) denitrification activity at 100-225°C. The results of NH3 temperature-programmed desorption (NH3-TPD) and H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR) showed that the catalyst had strong acid sites and good redox properties. Zeta potential testing showed that the electronegativity of the chlorella cell surface could be used to enrich with Mn2+. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that Chlorella@Mn had a high content of Mn3+ and surface chemisorbed oxygen. In-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in-situ DRIFTS) experimental results showed that both Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) and Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanisms play a role in the denitrification process on the surface of the Chlorella@Mn catalyst, where the main intermediate nitrate species is monodentate nitrite. The presence of SO2 promoted the generation and strengthening of Brønsted acid sites, but also generated more sulfate species on the surface, thereby reducing the denitrification activity of the Chlorella@Mn catalyst. The Chlorella@Mn composite catalyst had the characteristics of short preparation time, simple process and low cost, making it promising for industrial application.

Zeolite Properties, Methods of Synthesis, and Selected Applications

Zeolites, a group of minerals with unique properties, have been known for more than 250 years. However, it was the development of methods for hydrothermal synthesis of zeolites and their large-scale industrial applications (oil processing, agriculture, production of detergents and building materials, water treatment processes, etc.) that made them one of the most important materials of the 20th century, with great practical and research significance. The orderly, homogeneous crystalline and porous structure of zeolites, their susceptibility to various modifications, and their useful physicochemical properties contribute to the continuous expansion of their practical applications in both large-volume processes (ion exchange, adsorption, separation of mixture components, catalysis) and specialized ones (sensors). The following review of the knowledge available in the literature on zeolites aims to present the most important information on the properties, synthesis methods, and selected applications of this group of aluminosilicates. Special attention is given to the use of zeolites in agriculture and environmental protection.

C≡N and N≡O Bond Cleavages of Acetonitrile and Nitrosyl Ligands at a Dimolybdenum Center to Render Ethylidyne and Acetamidinate Ligands

Extended reduction of [Mo2Cp2(μ-Cl)(μ-PtBu2)(NO)2] (1) with Na(Hg) in acetonitrile (MeCN) at room temperature resulted in an unprecedented full cleavage of the C≡N bond of a coordinated MeCN molecule to yield the vinylidene derivative Na[Mo2Cp2(μ-PtBu2)(μ-CCH2)(NO)2], which upon protonation with (NH4)PF6 gave the ethylidyne complex [Mo2Cp2(μ-PtBu2)(μ-CMe)(NO)2] [Mo1-Mo2 = 2.9218(2) Å] in a selective and reversible way. Controlled reduction of 1 at 273 K yielded instead, after protonation, the 30-electron acetamidinate complex [Mo2Cp2(μ-PtBu2)(μ-κN:κN'-HNCMeNH)(μ-NO)]PF6 [Mo1-Mo2 = 2.603(2) Å], in a process thought to stem from the paramagnetic MeCN-bridged intermediate [Mo2Cp2(μ-PtBu2)(μ-NCMe)(NO)2], followed by a complex sequence of elementary steps including cleavage of the N≡O bond of a nitrosyl ligand.

Strategy and Technical Progress of Recycling of Spent Vanadium-Titanium-Based Selective Catalytic Reduction Catalysts

Selective catalytic reduction denitration technology, abbreviated as SCR, is essential for the removal of nitrogen oxide from the flue gas of coal-fired power stations and has been widely used. Due to the strong demand for energy and the requirements for environmental protection, a large amount of SCR catalyst waste is produced. The spent SCR catalyst contains high-grade valuable metals, and proper disposal or treatment of the SCR catalyst can protect the environment and realize resource recycling. This review focuses on the two main routes of regeneration and recycling of spent vanadium-titanium SCR catalysts that are currently most widely commercially used and summarizes in detail the technologies of recycling, high-efficiency recycling, and recycling of valuable components of spent vanadium-titanium SCR catalysts. This review also discusses in depth the future development direction of recycling spent vanadium-titanium SCR catalysts. It provides a reference for promoting recycling, which is crucial for resource recovery and green and low-carbon development.

Enhancement of the catalytic performance of Co-ZIF/WO3 heterostructures for selective catalytic reduction of NOx

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are one of the growing air pollutants in industrial countries, and their emissions are regulated by stringent legislation. Therefore, the design of the catalyst comprised of metal oxides and ZIFs a potential solution for improving selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx. Here, an efficient strategy was described to fabricate Co-ZIF/WO3 heterostructures for SCR of NOx. First, WO3 nanostructures were fabricated by the solvothermal method, and subsequently epitaxial growth of ZIF-67 on the metal oxide surface to create a new type of semiconductor Co-ZIF/WO3 heterostructures. The obtained heterostructures were systemically characterized by wide-angle XRD, FESEM, UV DRS, FT-IR, AFM, and TEM spectroscopies. The Co-ZIF/WO3 heterostructures shift the temperature corresponding to the maximum conversion around 50 °C towards lower temperatures. The maximum conversion is substantially enhanced from 55% at 400 °C to 78% at 350 °C. The enhanced activity is attributed to better interaction and synergic effect of WO3 incorporated into ZIF-67 and also the electron transfer facility between the WO3 and Co species in Co-ZIF/WO3 heterostructures. Moreover, Co-ZIF/WO3 results in a distinct effect on the production of carbon monoxide (CO) in the product gas stream. The current study highlights some of the challenges in the development of semiconductor-based heterostructures for a decrease in air pollution.

Unexpected Promotion Effect of H2O on the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3 over Cu-SSZ-39 Catalysts

Water molecules commonly inhibit the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 on most catalysts, and water resistance is a long-standing challenge for SCR technology. Herein, by combining experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we found that water molecules do not inhibit and even promote the NOx conversion to some extent over the Cu-SSZ-39 zeolites, a promising SCR catalyst. Water acting as a ligand on active Cu sites and as a reactant in the SCR reaction significantly improves the O2 activation performance and reduces the overall energy barrier of the catalytic cycle. This work unveils the mechanism of the unexpected promotion effect of water on the NH3-SCR reaction over Cu-SSZ-39 and provides fundamental insight into the development of zeolite-based SCR catalysts with excellent activity and water resistance.

Aqueous Electroreduction of Nitric Oxide to Ammonia at Low Concentration via Vacancy Engineered FeOCl

Electroreduction of nitric oxide (NO) to NH3 (NORR) has gained extensive attention for the sake of low carbon emission and air pollutant treatment. Unfortunately, NORR is greatly hindered by its sluggish kinetics, especially under low concentrations of NO. Herein, we developed a chlorine (Cl) vacancy strategy to overcome this limitation over FeOCl nanosheets (FeOCl-VCl ). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the Cl vacancy resulted in defective Fe with sharp d-states characteristics in FeOCl-VCl to enhance the absorption and activation of NO. In situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) verified the lower average oxidation state of defective Fe to enhance the electron transfer for NO adsorption/activation and facilitate the generation of key NHO and NHx intermediates. As a result, the FeOCl-VCl exhibited superior NORR activities with the NH3 Faradaic efficiency up to 91.1 % while maintaining a high NH3 yield rate of 455.4 μg cm-2  h-1 under 1.0 vol % NO concentration, competitive with those of previously reported literatures under higher NO concentration. Further, the assembled Zn-NO battery utilizing FeOCl-VCl as cathode delivered a record peak power density of 6.2 mW cm-2 , offering a new route for simultaneous NO removal, NH3 production, and energy supply.

Interface sites on vanadia-based catalysts are highly active for NOx removal under realistic conditions

TiO2-supported V2O5 catalysts are commonly used in NOx reduction with ammonia due to their robust catalytic performance. Over these catalysts, it is generally considered that the active species are mainly derived from the vanadia species rather than the intrinsic structure of V-O-Ti entities, namely the interface sites. To reveal the role of V-O-Ti entities in NH3-SCR, herein, we prepared TiO2/V2O5 catalysts and demonstrated that V-O-Ti entities were more active for NOx reduction under wet conditions than the V sites (V=O) working alone. On the V-O-Ti entities, kinetic measurements and first principles calculations revealed that NH3 activation exhibited a much lower energy barrier than that on V=O sites. Under wet conditions, the V-O-Ti interface significantly inhibited the transformation of V=O to V-OH sites thus benefiting NH3 activation. Under wet conditions, meanwhile, the migration of NH4+ from Ti site neighboring the V-O-Ti interface to Ti site of the V-O-Ti interface was exothermic; thus, V-O-Ti entities together with neighboring Ti sites could serve as channels linking NH3 pool and active centers for activation of NH4+. This finding reveals that the V-O-Ti interface sites on V-based catalysts play a crucial role in NOx removal under realistic conditions, providing a new perspective on NH3-SCR mechanism.

Mixed-Potential Ammonia Sensor Based on a Dense Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Film Manufactured at Room Temperature by Powder Aerosol Deposition

Powder aerosol deposition (often abbreviated as PAD, PADM, or ADM) is a coating method used to obtain dense ceramic films at room temperature. The suitability of this method to obtain ammonia mixed-potential sensors based on an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte that is manufactured using PAD and a V2O5-WO3-TiO2 (VWT)-covered electrode is investigated in this study. The sensor characteristics are compared with data from sensors with screen-printed YSZ solid electrolytes. The PAD sensors outperform those in terms of sensitivity with 117 mV/decade NH3 compared to 88 mV/decade. A variation in the sensor temperature shows that the NH3 sensitivity strongly depends on the sensor temperature and decreases with higher sensor temperature. Above 560 °C, the characteristic curve shifts from exponential to linear dependency. Variations in the water and the oxygen content in the base gas (usually 10% oxygen, 2% water vapor in nitrogen) reveal a strong dependence of the characteristic curve on the oxygen content. Water vapor concentration variations barely affect the sensor signal.

Knowledge-Driven Experimental Discovery of Ce-Based Metal Oxide Composites for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3 through Interpretable Machine Learning

Mining the scientific literature, combined with data-driven methods, may assist in the identification of optimized catalysts. In this paper, we employed interpretable machine learning to discover ternary metal oxides capable of selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with ammonia (NH3-SCR). Specifically, we devised a machine learning framework utilizing extreme gradient boosting (XGB), identified for its optimal performance, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to evaluate a curated database of 5654 distinct metal oxide composite catalytic systems containing cerium (Ce) element, with records of catalyst composition and preparation and reaction conditions. By virtual screening, this framework precisely pinpointed a CeO2-MoO3-Fe2O3 catalyst with superior NOx conversion, N2 selectivity, and resistance to H2O and SO2, as confirmed by empirical evaluations. Subsequent characterization affirmed its favorable structural, chemical bulk properties and reaction mechanism. Demonstrating the efficacy of combining knowledge-driven techniques with experimental validation and analysis, our strategy charts a course for analogous catalyst discoveries.

A Critical Assessment on Calculating Vibrational Spectra in Nanostructured Materials

Vibrational spectroscopy is an omnipresent spectroscopic technique to characterize functional nanostructured materials such as zeolites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and metal-halide perovskites (MHPs). The resulting experimental spectra are usually complex, with both low-frequency framework modes and high-frequency functional group vibrations. Therefore, theoretically calculated spectra are often an essential element to elucidate the vibrational fingerprint. In principle, there are two possible approaches to calculate vibrational spectra: (i) a static approach that approximates the potential energy surface (PES) as a set of independent harmonic oscillators and (ii) a dynamic approach that explicitly samples the PES around equilibrium by integrating Newton's equations of motions. The dynamic approach considers anharmonic and temperature effects and provides a more genuine representation of materials at true operating conditions; however, such simulations come at a substantially increased computational cost. This is certainly true when forces and energy evaluations are performed at the quantum mechanical level. Molecular dynamics (MD) techniques have become more established within the field of computational chemistry. Yet, for the prediction of infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of nanostructured materials, their usage has been less explored and remain restricted to some isolated successes. Therefore, it is currently not a priori clear which methodology should be used to accurately predict vibrational spectra for a given system. A comprehensive comparative study between various theoretical methods and experimental spectra for a broad set of nanostructured materials is so far lacking. To fill this gap, we herein present a concise overview on which methodology is suited to accurately predict vibrational spectra for a broad range of nanostructured materials and formulate a series of theoretical guidelines to this purpose. To this end, four different case studies are considered, each treating a particular material aspect, namely breathing in flexible MOFs, characterization of defects in the rigid MOF UiO-66, anharmonic vibrations in the metal-halide perovskite CsPbBr3, and guest adsorption on the pores of the zeolite H-SSZ-13. For all four materials, in their guest- and defect-free state and at sufficiently low temperatures, both the static and dynamic approach yield qualitatively similar spectra in agreement with experimental results. When the temperature is increased, the harmonic approximation starts to fail for CsPbBr3 due to the presence of anharmonic phonon modes. Also, the spectroscopic fingerprints of defects and guest species are insufficiently well predicted by a simple harmonic model. Both phenomena flatten the potential energy surface (PES), which facilitates the transitions between metastable states, necessitating dynamic sampling. On the basis of the four case studies treated in this Review, we can propose the following theoretical guidelines to simulate accurate vibrational spectra of functional solid-state materials: (i) For nanostructured crystalline framework materials at low temperature, insights into the lattice dynamics can be obtained using a static approach relying on a few points on the PES and an independent set of harmonic oscillators. (ii) When the material is evaluated at higher temperatures or when additional complexity enters the system, e.g., strong anharmonicity, defects, or guest species, the harmonic regime breaks down and dynamic sampling is required for a correct prediction of the phonon spectrum. These guidelines and their illustrations for prototype material classes can help experimental and theoretical researchers to enhance the knowledge obtained from a lattice dynamics study.

Comparing and optimizing municipal solid waste (MSW) management focused on air pollution reduction from MSW incineration in China

China is the largest developing country in the world, and its municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased with a compound annual growth rate of 5.1 % since 1980. Incineration, which has the advantages of mass- and volume-reduction as well as energy and heat recovery, has become the mainstream environmentally sound treatment method in China. However, air pollution emissions are the primary reason for limiting MSW incineration (MSWI). Currently, the Chinese government is devoted to comprehensively implementing MSW classification. However, the classification model and the future MSW reduction rate are not yet clear. In this study, we project scenarios of air pollution emissions until 2030 based on the different MSW classification models (MSW reduction rates) and diffusion rates of ultra-low emission technology. A total of 6011 tons (t) of particulate matter, 25,881 t of SO2, 14,915 t of CO, 17,167 t of HCl, and 200,166 t of NOx will be emitted in 2030 under the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, and air pollutants will not peak under this scenario. Air pollutants will reduce by 11 % of the BAU scenario by only implementing an MSW reduction of 20 % (JPN-model). The optimal scenario (DEU-model, increasing the efficiency of material recovery and upgrading air pollution control devices) means that air pollutants will be reduced by 83.2-96.2 % from the base amount under the BAU scenario. These results provide references for MSW management and air pollution emission reduction from the aspects of MSW classification and technology upgrades in China.

In Situ S-Doping Engineering for Highly Efficient NH3-SCR over Metal-Free Carbon Catalysts: A Novel Synergetic Promotional Mechanism

Cyclic desulfurization-regeneration-denitrification based on metal-free carbon materials is one of the most promising ways to remove NOx and SO2 simultaneously. However, the impact of S-doping induced by the cyclic desulfurization and regeneration (C-S-R) process on the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is not well understood. Herein, it is demonstrated that the C-S-R process at 500 °C induces in situ S-doping with a significant accumulation of C-S-C structures. NOx conversion was dramatically enhanced from 18.95% of the original sample to 84.55% of the S-doped sample. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the C-S-C structure significantly regulates the electronic structure of the C atom adjacent to the ketonic carbonyl group, thereby significantly altering the NH3 adsorption configuration with superior adsorption capacity. Moreover, S-doping induces an extra electron transfer between the N atom of the NH3 molecule and the C atom of the carbon plane, thereby promoting the activation of NH3 over the ketonic carbonyl group with a reduced energy barrier. This study elucidates a synergetic promotional mechanism between the ketonic carbonyl group and the C-S-C structure for SCR, offering a novel design strategy for high-performance heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts in industrial applications.