Reduction/oxidation half-cycles of the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 (NH3–SCR) over Fe-exchanged mordenite (MOR) zeolites at 300 °C were investigated by in situ/operando spectroscopy (infrared, UV–vis, and Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure) and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The reduction of Fe3+ into Fe2+ and the simultaneous formation of N2 and H2O in the reduction half-cycle (under NO + NH3) were demonstrated by different spectroscopic results. In the subsequent oxidation half-cycle (under O2 or NO + O2), Fe2+ was reoxidized into Fe3+. The reduction half-cycle comprises several elementary steps. Reduction of Fe3+–OH by NO producing Fe2+ and NO+ species was observed at low temperatures (<100 °C), while N2 formation due to the reduction of NO+ was observed under subsequent NH3 exposure at 100 °C. Under transient conditions, NH3 on Brønsted acid sites (B–NH3) reacted with NO to generate N2 when the coverage of B–NH3 was low, indicating that B–NH3 is not a spectator but a reservoir of NH3. Transition state calculation theoretically suggested that the formation of nitrous acid (HONO) intermediates from [Fe3+(OH–)2]+ at a Al site and gaseous NO was a facile process (E a = 29.2 kJ/mol). Combining the experimental observation and DFT calculation, the mechanism of the reduction half-cycle over Fe–zeolites was proposed; [Fe3+(OH–)2]+ is reduced by NO to produce a HONO intermediate, which then reacts with NH3 on Brønsted acid sites to yield H2O and N2 via NO+ species. Based on the mechanistic insights above, Fe–zeolites (MOR and β) with different Fe loadings and Si/Al ratios were tested for NH3–SCR reaction. Consequently, 2.7 wt % Fe-loaded zeolites with a relatively large number of Brønsted acid sites (Al-rich β with a Si/Al ratio of 5) showed the highest NO x conversion in a low-temperature region.
The dynamic structural evolution of Rh species in mordenite (MOR) zeolite was investigated using in situ spectroscopic techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and operando infrared (IR) revealed that metallic Rh species were oxidized to afford isolated [Rh(NO)2]+ species under NO flow at 200 °C, whereas small Rh metal clusters are formed under the subsequent H2 flow. Ab initio thermodynamics analysis shows that the plausible structures under NO and H2 at 200 °C are [Rh(NO)2]+ and Rh clusters in MOR, which is consistent with the experimental observations. A comparative study of Rh-loaded Al2O3 suggests that Al sites in MOR increase the thermodynamic stability of isolated Rh+ species and thus prevent their overoxidation to Rh2O3 under NO. NO capture in the form of [Rh(NO)2]+ and its selective reduction toward NH3 under H2 flow were observed by in situ IR measurements. The RhMOR catalyst exhibited ∼60% of NOx conversion above 200 °C under periodic lean/rich conditions. Transition-state calculations showed that the activation barrier for NO reduction to NH3 on [Rh(NO)2]+ (178 kJ/mol) is higher than that for Rh13 (156 kJ/mol), suggesting that Rh metal clusters are preferable NH3 formation sites, where the Rh13-catalyzed NO reduction into N2 and N2O was less preferable than NH3 formation, which is consistent with the experimental results. Combined with operando IR experiments under lean (NO + O2) and rich (NO + H2) conditions, we show that the reversible dynamic structural evolution of Rh species ([Rh(NO)2]+ ↔ Rh metal clusters under lean and rich conditions) is a key mechanistic feature for unsteady-state de-NOx via the capture of NO, its selective reduction to NH3, and the selective reduction of NO with NH3 formed in situ.
An automated reaction route mapping over Ag4 cluster confined in a zeolite cage.
The dynamic structural evolution of Rh species in mordenite (MOR) zeolite was investigated using in situ spectroscopic techniques and DFT calculations. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and operando infrared (IR) revealed that metallic Rh species were oxidized to afford isolated [Rh(NO)2]+ species under NO flow at 200°C, whereas small Rh metal clusters is formed under the subsequent H2 flow. Ab initio thermodynamics analysis shows that the plausible structures under NO and H2 at 200°C are [Rh(NO)2]+ and Rh clusters in MOR, which is consistent with the experimental observations. A comparative study of Rh-loaded Al2O3 suggests that Al sites in MOR increase the thermodynamic stability of isolated Rh+ species and thus prevent their overoxidation to Rh2O3 under NO. NO capture in the form of [Rh(NO)2]+ and its selective reduction toward NH3 under H2 flow were observed by in situ IR measurements. The RhMOR catalyst exhibited ~60% of NOx conversion above 200°C under periodic lean/rich conditions. Transition state calculations showed that the activation barrier for NO reduction to NH3 on [Rh(NO)2]+ (178 kJ/mol) is higher than that for Rh13 (156 kJ/mol), suggesting that Rh metal clusters are preferable NH3 formation sites, where the Rh13-catalyzed NO reduction into N2 and N2O was less preferable than NH3 formation, which is consistent with the experimental results. Combined with operando IR experiments under lean (NO + O2) and rich (NO + H2) conditions, we show that the reversible dynamic structural evolution of Rh species ([Rh(NO)2]+ Rh metal clusters under lean and rich conditions) is a key mechanistic feature for unsteady-state de-NOx via the capture of NO, its selective reduction to NH3, and the selective reduction of NO with NH3 formed in situ.
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