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Selective catalytic reduction of NO

Mn-based oxides exhibit outstanding low-temperature activity for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR) compared with other catalysts. However, the underlying principle responsible for the excellent low-temperature activity is not yet clear. Here, the atomic-level mechanism and activity-limiting factor in the NH3-SCR process over Mn-, Fe-, and Ce-based oxide catalysts are elucidated by a combination of first-principles calculations and experimental measurements. We found that the superior oxidative dehydrogenation performance toward NH3 of Mn-based catalysts reduces the energy barriers for the activation of NH3 and the formation of the key intermediate NH2NO, which is the rate-determining step in NH3-SCR over these oxide catalysts. The findings of this study advance the understanding of the working principle of Mn-based SCR catalysts and provide a fundamental basis for the development of future generation SCR catalysts with excellent low-temperature activity.

The control of soot emission from diesel vehicles is of extraordinary importance to the environment, and catalytic removal of soot is a highly effective and clean method. Here, we report a novel, non-noble metal catalyst for application in the catalytic combustion of soot with superb activity and resistance to H2O and SO2. MnOx oxide was prepared via a hydrothermal method, and then, Cs and Co were loaded on MnOx by impregnation. The 5%Cs/1%Co/MnOx catalyst displayed excellent catalytic activity with values of T10 (332 °C), T50 (371 °C), and T90 (415 °C) under loose contact. The as-prepared catalysts were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), H2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), O2 temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The results suggest that, after the introduction of Cs and Co into the MnOx oxide, more NO2 molecules take part in soot oxidation, exhibiting higher NO2 utilization efficiency; this is due to the synergistic effects of multiple components (Cs, Co, and Mn) promoting the generation of more surface-active oxygen and then accelerating the reaction between NO2 and soot. This study provides significant insights into the development of high-efficiency catalysts for soot oxidation, and the developed 5%Cs/1%Co/MnOx catalyst is a promising candidate for application in diesel particulate filters.

The control of NOx 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 NOx from diesel vehicles. Along with catalytic activity, hydrothermal stability is a key property for NOx 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 NOx 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 NOx abatement from diesel vehicle exhaust.

Adsorption is an efficient method for atmospheric NOx abatement under ambient conditions; however, traditional adsorbents suffer from limited adsorption capacity and byproduct formation. Developing a low-cost material with high capacity for atmospheric NO2 elimination remains a challenge. Here, we synthesized a nanodispersed Mn3O4/γ-Al2O3 (Mn/Al) material that exhibits excellent ability to remove NO2. The 10 wt % Mn/Al sample showed the highest removal capacity, with 247.6 mgNO2/gMn/Al, which is superior to that of activated carbon (42.6 mgNO2/g). There were no byproducts produced when Mn/Al was tested with ppb-level NO2. The NO2 abatement mechanism with Mn/Al is different from physisorption or chemisorption. NO2 removal is mainly a catalytic process in air, during which surface hydroxyls and lattice oxygen are involved in the oxidation of NO2 to nitrate. In contrast, a chemical reaction between Mn3+ and NO2 is dominant in N2, where Mn3+ is converted into Mn4+ and NO2 is reduced to nitrite. Washing with deionized water is an effective and convenient method for the regeneration of saturated Mn/Al, and an 86% adsorption capacity was recovered after one washing. The results suggest that this low-cost Mn/Al material with easy preparation and regeneration is a promising candidate material for atmospheric NO2 elimination.

CeO2–WO3–ZrO2 mixed oxides were prepared by the homogeneous precipitation method for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3–SCR). The effects of hydrothermal aging on the catalytic performances of CeO2–WO3–ZrO2 were investigated. The results showed that CeO2–WO3–ZrO2 catalyst exhibited excellent NH3–SCR activity for removal of NOx and hydrothermal stability. After hydrothermal aging at 850 °C for 16 h, the optimum CeO2–WO3–ZrO2 catalyst could still realize 80% NOx conversion at 300–500 °C even under a high gas hourly space velocity of 250 000 h–1. The structural properties, redox ability, surface species, and acidity of fresh and hydrothermally aged CeO2–WO3–ZrO2 catalysts were characterized by N2-physisorption, XRD, Raman, H2-TPR, XPS, NH3-TPD, and in situ DRIFTS. The characterization results showed that decreases of 89% of the surface area and 71% of the NH3 storage capacity as well as new phase formation occurred for the CeO2–WO3–ZrO2 sample after hydrothermal aging at 850 °C for 16 h. ...

The catalytic partial oxidation of ethanol and selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ethanol (ethanol-SCR) over Ag/Al2O3 were studied using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS). The intermediates were identified by PIMS and their photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra. The results indicate that H2 promotes the partial oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde over Ag/Al2O3, while the simultaneously occurring processes of dehydration and dehydrogenation were inhibited. H2 addition favors the formation of ammonia during ethanol-SCR over Ag/Al2O3, the occurrence of which creates an effective pathway for NOx reduction by direct reaction with NH3. Simultaneously, the enhancement of the formation of ammonia benefits its reaction with surface enolic species, resulting in producing -NCO species again, leading to enhancement of ethanol-SCR over Ag/Al2O3 by H2. Using VUV-PIMS, the reactive vinyloxy radical was observed in the gas phase during the NOx reduction by ethanol for the first time, particularly in the presence of H2. Identification of such a reaction occurring in the gas phase may be crucial for understanding the reaction pathway of HC-SCR over Ag/Al2O3.