d-π Orbital Interaction Promoting NOx Selective Reduction on the Mn-Doped α-Fe2O3(001) Catalyst

Understanding the structure-activity relationship on a solid surface is crucial for developing an efficient low-temperature NH3-SCR catalyst. Herein, an in-depth investigation was conducted on a single-atom Mn-doped α-Fe2O3 catalyst by combining experimental studies and density functional theory calculations. Mn doping not only facilitates N-H cleavage in the Eley-Rideal (E-R) pathway but also promotes the adsorption of NO and the cleavage of the N-O bond, lowering the energy barrier of the rate-determining step in the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) pathway. Thus, Mn doping facilitates the catalytic reaction along both potential pathways, which promotes the NH3-SCR reaction. Further analysis reveals that the doping of Mn introduces an unoccupied dxy orbital, which facilitates the interaction with the π orbital of NO, thereby augmenting NO adsorption. Moreover, Mn doping redistributes the electron density, enhancing the flexibility of electrons on the Fe atom and facilitating electron transfer from Fe to the π* orbital of Mn-N-O, thus promoting N-O cleavage. The present study demonstrates that the incorporation of unoccupied d orbitals with appropriate energy and symmetry facilitates a d-π interaction between the dopant and reactant, thereby significantly enhancing catalytic efficiency. These findings provide valuable new insights into the design of high-performance NH3-SCR catalysts.

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

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

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.

Low-Temperature NH3-SCR Performance and In Situ DRIFTS Study on Zeolite X-Supported Different Crystal Phases of MnO2 Catalysts

In this study, a series of zeolite-X-supported different crystal phases of MnO2 (α-MnO2, β-MnO2, γ-MnO2, and σ-MnO2) catalysts were prepared via a solid-state diffusion method and high-heat treatment method to explore their low-temperature NH3-SCR performance. All of the catalysts featured typical octahedral zeolite X structures and manganese dioxides species of various crystal types dispersed across the support surface. Throughout the entire temperature range of the reaction, γ-MnO2/X catalyst had the highest NO conversion. Additionally, β-MnO2/X, γ-MnO2/X, and σ-MnO2/X catalysts had nearly 100% of N2 selectivity, whereas the α-MnO2/X catalyst had the lowest N2 selectivity (about 90%) below 125 °C. Moreover, the γ-MnO2/X catalyst demonstrated superior acidity capacity and reduction ability compared with the other three catalysts. All the catalysts contained the essential intermediates NH2NO and NH4NO3 species, which are essential to the SCR reaction. More acid sites and nitrate species existed on the γ-MnO2/X catalyst than on the other catalysts, thereby boosting the SCR reaction.

Rational Regulation of Reducibility and Acid Site on Mn-Fe-BTC to Achieve High Low-Temperature Catalytic Denitration Performance

Selective catalytic reduction with ammonia is the mainstream technology of flue gas denitration (de-NO_x). The reducibility and acid site are two important factors affecting the de-NO_x performance, and effective regulation between them is the key to obtain a highly efficient de-NO_x catalyst. Herein, a series of Mn-Fe-BTC with different ratios of Mn and Fe are synthesized, among which 2Mn-1Fe-BTC with 2:1 molar ratio of Mn and Fe has excellent low-temperature (LT) de-NO_x performance (above 90% NO conversion between 60 and 270 °C) and good tolerance to H₂O and SO₂ poisoning (88% NO conversion at 150 °C with 100 ppm of SO₂ and/or 6% H₂O). It is revealed that the reducibility properties and acid sites of Mn-Fe-BTC can be flexibly tuned by the ratio of Mn and Fe. The difference in electronegativity between Fe and Mn leads to the redistribution of valence electrons, which enables the controllable reducibility of Mn-Fe-BTC. Furthermore, different amounts of Mn and Fe lead to different electron transport, which determines the type and number of acid sites. The synergistic effect of Mn and Fe endows Mn-Fe-BTC with enhanced surface molecular adsorption capacity and enables the catalyst to selectively chemisorb NH₃ and NO at different active sites. This research provides guidance for the flexible regulation of reducibility and acid site of LT de-NO_x catalyst.

Phosphotungstic Acid-Modified MnOx for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3

H3PW12O40-modified MnOx catalysts (denoted as Mn-HPW) were used for NOx elimination with co-fed NH3. The optimal Mn-HPW0.02 catalyst exhibited over 90% NOx conversion at 90–270 °C. The incorporation of HPW increased the amount of Lewis acid sites of the catalyst for adsorbing NH3, and accelerated the reaction between the adsorbed NH3 species and gas-phase NOx, thus, increasing the low-temperature catalytic activity. The oxidation ability of the Mn catalyst was decreased due to the addition of HPW, thus, mitigating the overoxidation of the adsorbed NH3 species and improving the de-NOx activity and N2 selectivity in the high-temperature region. DRIFT results revealed that the NH3 species on Lewis and Brønsted acid sites, bridged nitrate, and bidentate nitrate were important species/intermediates for the reaction. NH3-SCR over the Mn and Mn-HPW0.02 catalysts obeyed the Eley–Rideal and Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanisms, simultaneously, at 120 °C.