Promotion of transition metal oxides on the NH₃-SCR performance of ZrO₂-CeO₂ catalyst

Abstract

Manganese and chromium oxides promote the NH₃-SCR activity of Zr-Ce mixed oxide.

Cr-Zr-Ce mixed oxide exhibited>80% NO_x conversion at a wide temperature window.

More acid sites and higher reducibility may responsible for the high SCR ability.

Chromium oxide and manganese oxide promoted ZrO₂-CeO₂ catalysts were prepared by a homogeneous precipitation method for the selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with NH₃. A series of characterization including X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to evaluate the influence of the physicochemical properties on NH₃-SCR activity. Cr-Zr-Ce and Mn-Zr-Ce catalysts are much more active than ZrO₂-CeO₂ binary oxide for the low temperature NH₃-SCR, mainly because of the high specific surface area, more surface oxygen species, improved reducibility derived from synergistic effect among different elements. Mn-Zr-Ce catalyst exhibited high tolerance to SO₂ and H₂O. Cr-Zr-Ce mixed oxide exhibited>80% NO_x conversion at a wide temperature window of 100°C–300°C. In situ DRIFT studies showed that the addition of Cr is beneficial to the formation of Bronsted acid sites and prevents the formation of stable nitrate species because of the presence of Cr⁶⁺. The present mixed oxide can be a candidate for the low temperature abatement of NO_x.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

NH₃-selective catalytic reduction / NO_x / Low temperature / Cr-Zr-Ce

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