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

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

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

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

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

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

Enhanced dispersion of nickel nanoparticles on SAPO-5 for boosting hydroisomerization of n-hexane

The nickel based bifunctional catalyst with enhanced hydroisomerization performance was developed using an in-situ solid synthesis method. It was achieved to stabilize smaller Ni active sites on SAPO-5 using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) ligands. The role of EDTA ligands was clarified by controlling the molar ratio of EDTA to Ni²⁺ (EDTA/Ni²⁺) over Ni/SAPO-5 catalysts. EDTA ligands inhibited the formation of nickel aluminate spinel and aggregation of NiO species during calcination, which dispersed Ni nanoparticles in a mean size of 4.7 nm on SAPO-5. The size of Ni nanoparticles could be controlled by regulating EDTA/Ni²⁺ ratio in [Ni-EDTA]^2- complex. The prepared catalyst exhibited high yield of isomers (54.0%) and di-branched isomers selectivity (18.0%) in the n-hexane hydroisomerization, which was approximately 2 times higher than that of the Ni/SAPO-5 catalyst without EDTA ligands at similar conversion. These results are important to propose a facile approach for the preparation of highly dispersed non-noble metal based bifunctional catalysts at a high loading.

Modifying Y zeolite with chloropropyl for improving Cu load on Y zeolite as a super Cu/Y catalyst for toluene oxidation

Developing an efficient catalyst is desirable when for example moving from a noble metal-based catalyst to a transition metal-based one for VOC removal. In this work, the chloropropyl-modified NaY zeolite (NaY-CPT) was first synthesized in an extremely dense system through introducing 3-chloropropyl-trimethoxysilane (CPT) in the aluminosilicate sol. Then the Cu/Y-CPT catalyst was fabricated by impregnating Cu species on the NaY-CPT zeolite and the highly effective Cu/Y based catalyst has been achieved for catalytic toluene oxidation. The structure evolution of CPT modified sol and its effect on texture properties of NaY-CPT and thereby reduction ability of Cu/Y catalyst were systematically investigated by synchrotron radiation small angle X-ray scattering (SR-SAXS), EXAFS and other characterization. The CPT modified sol can promote the formation of more active aluminosilicate species, greatly accelerating crystal growth and improving framework Si/Al ratio of NaY zeolite. Due to the presence of the CPT group, the Cu/Y-CPT catalyst enhanced the interaction between Cu species and the zeolite matrix, resulting in small sized CuO nanoparticles (2.0-4.0 nm) anchoring to NaY-CPT. The Cu/Y-CPT catalyst renders more isolated Cu²⁺ species and adsorbed oxygen species, which are reactive in the oxidation reaction due to their high reducibility and mobility. Finally, the Cu/Y-CPT catalyst exhibits 90% toluene conversion at 296 °C (T ₉₀), lower than the value of 375 °C on the conventional Cu/Y-con catalyst. Meanwhile, the optimal Cu/Y-CPT catalyst also gives higher toluene conversion and stability in moisture conditions.

Effect of hydrothermal aging temperature on a Cu-SSZ-13/H-SAPO-34 composite for the selective catalytic reduction of NO x by NH3

Cu-SSZ-13 suffers activity loss after hydrothermal treatment at high temperatures, particularly above 850 °C. The stability of Cu-SSZ-13 can be enhanced by compositing with H-SAPO-34. This work investigates the effect of aging temperature on the composites. For the structure, the extra-framework P in H-SAPO-34 migrates and interacts with the Al in Cu-SSZ-13, forming a new framework P-Al bond. This interaction is enhanced with the increment of the aging temperature. For the cupric sites, the aging at 750 °C results in the agglomeration of Cu²⁺ ions to CuO. However, the sample aged at 800 °C exhibits higher activities than that aged at 750 °C, which might be attributed to the increased formation of framework P-Al bonds promoting the redispersion of CuO to Cu²⁺ ions. The composite suffers severe deactivation due to the significant loss of Cu²⁺ ions after aging at 850 °C.

Tailored activity of Cu–Fe bimetallic Beta zeolite with promising C3H6 resistance for NH3-SCR

The introduction of Cu has inhibited the polymerization of C₃H₆ and promoted the oxidation of C₃H₆, which alleviated competitive adsorption between C₃H₆ and NO_x, therefore results in the enhanced NH₃-SCR performance in the presence of C₃H₆.

Investigation of Suitable Templates for One-Pot-Synthesized Cu-SAPO-34 in NOx Abatement from Diesel Vehicle Exhaust

The control of NO_x emission from diesel vehicles is of great importance to the environment, and Cu-SAPO-34 is considered to be an effective catalyst for the abatement of NO_x from diesel vehicles. Along with catalytic activity, hydrothermal stability is a key property for NO_x abatement catalysts. The attack of Cu species and framework atoms by H₂O may result in activity loss under both low/high temperature humid conditions, which are inevitable in practical application. Therefore, apart from good catalytic activity, hydrothermal stability under both low/high temperatures for Cu-SAPO-34 is also critical for NO_x control in diesel vehicles. Three Cu-SAPO-34 samples were prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal method using propylamine, triethylamine, and morpholine, with Cu-TEPA (tetraethylenepentamine) as the cotemplate. The NH₃-SCR activity and the effects of hydrothermal aging at 70 and 800 °C on these Cu-SAPO-34 samples were investigated. The type of cotemplate can affect the Si and Cu species in one-pot-synthesized Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts, so that the catalytic activity as well as the low/high temperature hydrothermal stability is affected by the choice of template. Generally speaking, Cu-SAPO-34 prepared using PA as cotemplate showed superior catalytic activity and hydrothermal stability under low/high temperatures compared with the other two catalysts, which makes PA a more suitable template for one-pot-synthesized Cu-SAPO-34 for use in NO_x abatement from diesel vehicle exhaust.

Nanosized Cu-SSZ-13 and Its Application in NH3-SCR

Nanosized SSZ-13 was synthesized hydrothermally by applying N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantammonium hydroxide (TMAdaOH) as a structure-directing agent. In the next step, the quantity of TMAdaOH in the initial synthesis mixture of SSZ-13 was reduced by half. Furthermore, we varied the sodium hydroxide concentration. After ion-exchange with copper ions (Cu2+ and Cu+), the Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts were characterized to explore their framework composition (XRD, solid-state NMR, ICP-OES), texture (N2-sorption, SEM) and acid/redox properties (FT-IR, TPR-H2, DR UV-Vis, EPR). Finally, the materials were tested in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH3-SCR). The main difference between the Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts was the number of Cu2+ in the double six-membered ring (6MRs). Such copper species contribute to a high NH3-SCR activity. Nevertheless, all materials show comparable activity in NH3-SCR up to 350 °C. Above 350 °C, NO conversion decreased for Cu-SSZ-13(2–4) due to side reaction of NH3 oxidation.

Regeneration of water-deactivated Cu/SAPO-34(MO) with acids

Deactivation and acid regeneration of Cu/SAPO-34 used for NH₃ SCR.

The effect of crystallite size on low-temperature hydrothermal stability of Cu-SAPO-34

Two Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts with different crystallite sizes were obtained, and catalyst with smaller crystallite size had better low-temperature hydrothermal stability because of less Cu²⁺ species on the surface.

Regeneration of Cu/SAPO-34(MO) with H2O only: too good to be true?

Illustration of the proposed mechanism for deactivation and regeneration of Cu/SAPO-34(MO) with H₂O.

Water mediated oxygen activation in NH3 SCR reaction over a Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst: a first principles study

H₂O co-adsorbed with NH₃ on Cu sites decreases the reaction energy barriers of O₂ activation over Cu-SAPO-34 at low temperature.

Understanding the mechanism of low temperature deactivation of Cu/SAPO-34 exposed to various amounts of water vapor in the NH3-SCR reaction

Water-exposure at 70 °C deteriorates Cu/SAPO-34, the extent of which depends on water exposure time, reaction temperature, and choice of SDAs.

Barium-promoted hydrothermal stability of monolithic Cu/BEA catalyst for NH3-SCR

As a promising candidate for NOx elimination from the emission of diesel engines, the enhancement effect of Ba on the hydrothermal stability of cordierite supported CuBa/BEA at 600 °C for 48 h was investigated by XRD, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, XPS, EPR, TEM and in situ DRIFTS. Different properties and amounts of active species are significant factors contributing to the enhanced hydrothermal stability of CuBa/BEA-HT. CuBa/BEA-HT has more Cu2+/Cu+ redox-couples and stronger interactions than Cu/BEA-HT, indicating an excellent redox property of the active species in CuBa/BEA-HT. The better redox property of CuBa/BEA-HT produces more nitrates that easily participate in the NH3-SCR reaction, which enhances the low-temperature activity. Furthermore, as observed from EPR and H2-TPR, the appearance of more isolated Cu2+ species and fewer CuO species also contribute to the higher hydrothermal stability of CuBa/BEA-HT.

Effects of Na+ on Cu/SAPO-34 for ammonia selective catalytic reduction

Copper-exchanged chabazite (Cu/CHA) catalysts have been found to be affected by alkali metal and alkaline earth ions. However, the effects of Na⁺ ions on Cu/SAPO-34 for ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) are still unclear. In order to investigate the mechanism, five samples with various Na contents were synthesized and characterized. It was observed that the introduced Na⁺ ion-exchanges with H⁺ and Cu²⁺ of Cu/SAPO-34. The exchange of H⁺ is easier than that of isolated Cu²⁺. The exchanged Cu²⁺ ions aggregate and form "CuAl₂O₄-like" species. The NH₃-SCR activity of Cu/SAPO-34 decreases with increasing Na content, and the loss of isolated Cu²⁺ and acid sites is responsible for the activity loss.

Effect of various structure directing agents (SDAs) on low-temperature deactivation of Cu/SAPO-34 during NH3-SCR reaction

Cu/SAPO-34(TEA) only exhibited minor deactivation and mostly recovered its original activities, while Cu/SAPO-34(MO) showed major deactivation and was not fully regenerated during low temperature NH₃-SCR reaction.

Manganese-rich MnSAPO-34 molecular sieves as an efficient catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH3: one-pot synthesis, catalytic performance, and characterization

Manganese-rich MnSAPO-34 molecular sieves were prepared by one-pot synthesis method for NO _x abatement using the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) technology and characterized using ICP, BET, XRD, FE-SEM, H₂-TPR, NH₃-TPD, XPS, and DR UV-Vis analyses. The experimental results indicate that the Mn content and chemical state, as well as the surface acidity, of the MnSAPO-34 molecular sieves significantly enhance their DeNO _x efficiency at low temperatures (ca. 200-300 °C). The manganese-rich MnSAPO-34 was synthesized using a combination of triethylamine and diisopropylamine as the structural directing agents and high Mn loading (n(MnO)/n(P₂O₅) = 0.4). The resulting catalyst exhibits the highest activity among all of the samples with a NO _x conversion value of nearly 95% and a N₂ selectivity that is higher than 90% at 220-400 °C. In addition, this catalyst presents higher NO _x conversion than the conventional V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalysts and other SAPO-based catalysts below 300 °C. Furthermore, the analytical results indicate that the manganese species in the catalyst are mainly in the form of a framework Mn(IV), which could play a significant role in the NH₃-SCR process as the specific active species. The results suggest that controlling the types and content of the organic amine templates and variations in the surface acidity of the catalysts may significantly enhance the SCR activity at lower temperatures.

One-pot construction of Fe/ZSM-5 zeolites for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides by ammonia

A simple one-step hydrothermal approach is developed to construct Fe/ZSM-5 zeolites for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides by ammonia.

Simultaneous removal of PM and NOx over highly efficient 3DOM W/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 catalysts

Herein, three-dimensional ordered macropore (3DOM) x% W/Ce_0.8Zr_0.2O₂ (x = 0.5, 0.8, 1, 3) catalysts were prepared and employed for the simultaneous removal of PM (particulate matter) and NO_x from diesel engine exhaust.