Cu-based heterojunction catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia

Copper-based catalysts have garnered wide attention in the field of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction for ammonia production due to their low hydrogen precipitation activity and high ammonia selectivity.However,they still face challenges pertaining of poor stability and low activity,which hinder their further application.Herein,we present a Cu_(2)O/Cu heterojunction catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped porous carbon for nitrate reduction.High resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM)and X-ray Diffraction(XRD)results confirm the presence of Cu_(2)O/Cu heterojunctions,which serve as an active phase in catalysis.The nitrogen-doped porous carbon as a carrier not only enhances the catalyst’s stability,but also facilitates the exposure and dispersion of active sites.At-1.29 V(vs.RHE),the maximum production rate of ammonia reaches 8.8 mg/(mg·h)with a Faradaic efficiency of 92.8%.This study also elucidates the effect of Cu_(2)O-to-Cu ratio in the heterojunction on catalytic performance,thereby providing valuable insights for designing efficient nitrate reduction catalysts for ammonia production.

盐酸西那卡塞合成新方法

目的探讨合成盐酸西那卡塞的新方法。方法以3-(3-三氟甲基苯基)丙醇为原料,经二甲基亚砜/五氧化二磷氧化成醛、三氟甲磺酸铁催化的还原氨化、成盐三步反应,合成了盐酸西那卡塞。结果及结论该方法采用对环境友好的反应试剂,反应步骤少,操作简单,总收率高(57.8%)。

Understanding the roles of Brønsted/Lewis acid sites on manganese oxide-zeolite hybrid catalysts for low-temperature NH_(3)-SCR

Although metal oxide-zeolite hybrid materials have long been known to achieve enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity in NO_(x)removal reactions through the inter-particle diffusion of intermediate species,their subsequent reaction mechanism on acid sites is still unclear and requires investigation.In this study,the distribution of Brønsted/Lewis acid sites in the hybrid materials was precisely adjusted by introducing potassium ions,which not only selectively bind to Brønsted acid sites but also potentially affect the formation and diffusion of activated NO species.Systematic in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy analyses coupled with selective catalytic reduction of NO_(x)with NH_(3)(NH_(3)-SCR)reaction demonstrate that the Lewis acid sites over MnO_(x)are more active for NO reduction but have lower selectivity to N_(2)than Brønsted acids sites.Brønsted acid sites primarily produce N_(2),whereas Lewis acid sites primarily produce N_(2)O,contributing to unfavorable N_(2)selectivity.The Brønsted acid sites present in Y zeolite,which are stronger than those on MnO_(x),accelerate the NH_(3)-SCR reaction in which the nitrite/nitrate species diffused from the MnO_(x)particles rapidly convert into the N_(2).Therefore,it is important to design the catalyst so that the activated NO species formed in MnO_(x)diffuse to and are selectively decomposed on the Brønsted acid sites of H-Y zeolite rather than that of MnO_(x)particle.For the physically mixed H-MnO_(x)+H-Y sample,the abundant Brønsted/Lewis acid sites in H-MnO_(x)give rise to significant consumption of activated NO species before their inter-particle diffusion,thereby hindering the enhancement of the synergistic effects.Furthermore,we found that the intercalated K+in K-MnO_(x)has an unexpected favorable role in the NO reduction rate,probably owing to faster diffusion of the activated NO species on K-MnO_(x)than H-MnO_(x).This study will help to design promising metal oxide-zeolite hybrid catalysts by identifying the role of the acid sites in two different constituents.

Promotional roles of ZrO_2 and WO_3 in V_2O_5-WO_3/TiO_2-ZrO_2 catalysts for NO_x reduction by NH_3:Catalytic performance,morphology,and reaction mechanism

V2O5/TiO2-ZrO2 catalysts containing various amounts of WO3 were synthesized.The catalyst morphologies,catalytic performances,and reaction mechanisms in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3 were investigated using in situ diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy,temperature-programmed reduction（TPR）,X-ray diffraction,and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller（BET） method.The BET surface area of the triple oxides increased with increasing ZrO2 doping but gradually decreased with increasing WO3 loading.Addition of sufficient WO3 helped to stabilize the pore structure and the combination of WO3 and ZrO2 improved dispersion of all the metal oxides.The mechanisms of reactions using V2O5-9%WO3/TiO2-ZrO2 and V2O5-9%WO3/TiO2were compared by using either a single or mixed gas feed and various pretreatments.The results suggest that both reactions followed the Eley-Ridel mechanism;however,the dominant acid sites,which depended on the addition of WO3 or ZrO2,determined the pathways for NOx reduction,and involved[NH4^＋-NO-Bronsted acid site]^＊ and[NH2-NO-Lewis acid site]^＊ intermediates,respectively.NH3-TPR and H2-TPR showed that the metal oxides in the catalysts were not reduced by NH3 and O2did not reoxidize the catalyst surfaces but participated in the formation of H2O and NO2.

Promotional effect of H_3PO_4 on ceria catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH_3

A series of H3PO4-modified CeO2 samples were prepared by impregnation of CeO2 with H3PO4solution,and evaluated for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3.The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction,N2 adsorption-desorption,infrared spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,temperature-programmed desorption of NH3,and temperature-programmed reduction of H2.The results showed that more than 80%NO conversion was achieved in the temperature range 250-550℃ over the H3PO4-CeO2 catalyst.The enhanced catalytic performance could be ascribed to the increase in acidic strength,especially Bronsted acidity,and reduction in redox properties of the CeO2 after H3PO4 modification.

Investigation of low-temperature hydrothermal stability of Cu-SAPO-34 for selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with NH_3

The low‐temperature hydrothermal stabilities of Cu‐SAPO‐34samples with various Si contents and Cu loadings were systematically investigated.The NH3oxidation activities and NH3‐selective catalytic reduction(SCR)activities(mainly the low‐temperature activities)of all the Cu‐SAPO‐34catalysts declined after low‐temperature steam treatment(LTST).These results show that the texture and acid density of Cu‐SAPO‐34can be better preserved by increasing the Cu loading,although the hydrolysis of Si-O-Al bonds is inevitable.The stability of Cu ions and the stability of the SAPO framework were positively correlated at relatively low Cu loadings.However,a high Cu loading(e.g.,3.67wt%)resulted in a significant decrease in the number of isolated Cu ions.Aggregation of CuO particles also occurred during the LTST,which accounts for the decreasing NH3oxidation activities of the catalysts.Among the catalysts,Cu‐SAPO‐34with a high Si content and medium Cu content(1.37wt%)showed the lowest decrease in NH3‐SCR because its Cu2+content was well retained and its acid density was well preserved.

Review on the latest developments in modified vanadium-titanium-based SCR catalysts

Vanadium-titanium-based catalysts are the most widely used industrial materials for NO_x removal from coal-fired power plants. Owing to their relatively poor low-temperature deNO_x activity, low thermal stability, insufficient Hg^0 oxidation activity, SO_2 oxidation, ammonia slip, and other disadvantages,modifications to traditional vanadium-titanium-based selective catalytic reduction（SCR）catalysts have been attempted by many researchers to promote their relevant performance. This article reviewed the research progress of modified vanadium-titanium-based SCR catalysts from seven aspects, namely,（1） improving low-temperature deNO_x efficiency,（2） enhancing thermal stability,（3） improving Hg^0 oxidation efficiency,（4） oxidizing slip ammonia,（5） reducing SO_2 oxidation,（6） increasing alkali resistance, and（7） others. Their catalytic performance and the influence mechanisms have been discussed in detail. These catalysts were also divided into different categories according to their modified components such as noble metals（e.g., silver, ruthenium）, transition metals（e.g., manganese, iron, copper, zirconium, etc.）, rare earth metals（e.g., cerium, praseodymium）,and other metal chlorides（e.g., calcium chloride, copper chloride） and non-metals（fluorine,sulfur, silicon, nitrogen, etc.）. The advantages and disadvantages of these catalysts were summarized.Based on previous studies and the author＇s point of view, doping the appropriate modified components is beneficial to further improve the overall performance of vanadium-titanium-based SCR catalysts. This has enormous development potential and is a promising way to realize the control of multiple pollutants on the basis of the existing flue gas treatment system.

Influence of preparation methods on the physicochemical properties and catalytic performance of MnO_x-CeO_2 catalysts for NH_3-SCR at low temperature

This work examines the influence of preparation methods on the physicochemical properties and catalytic performance of MnOx‐CeO2 catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3 (NH3‐SCR) at low temperature. Five different methods, namely, mechanical mixing, impregnation,hydrothermal treatment, co‐precipitation, and a sol‐gel technique, were used to synthesizeMnOx‐CeO2 catalysts. The catalysts were characterized in detail, and an NH3‐SCR model reaction waschosen to evaluate the catalytic performance. The results showed that the preparation methodsaffected the catalytic performance in the order: hydrothermal treatment > sol‐gel > co‐precipitation> impregnation > mechanical mixing. This order correlated with the surface Ce3+ and Mn4+ content,oxygen vacancies and surface adsorbed oxygen species concentration, and the amount of acidic sitesand acidic strength. This trend is related to redox interactions between MnOx and CeO2. The catalystformed by a hydrothermal treatment exhibited excellent physicochemical properties, optimal catalyticperformance, and good H2O resistance in NH3‐SCR reaction. This was attributed to incorporationof Mnn+ into the CeO2 lattice to form a uniform ceria‐based solid solution (containing Mn‐O‐Cestructures). Strengthening of the electronic interactions between MnOx and CeO2, driven by thehigh‐temperature and high‐pressure conditions during the hydrothermal treatment also improved the catalyst characteristics. Thus, the hydrothermal treatment method is an efficient and environment‐friendly route to synthesizing low‐temperature denitrification (deNOx) catalysts.

Effective synthesis of 5-amino-1-pentanol by reductive amination of biomass-derived 2-hydroxytetrahydropyran over supported Ni catalysts

A highly efficient and green process was developed for the synthesis of useful 5-amino-1-pentanol(5-AP)from biomass-derived dihydropyran by coupling the in situ generation of 5-hydroxypentanal(5-HP,via the ring-opening tautomerization of 2-hydroxytetrahydropyran(2-HTHP))and its reductive amination over supported Ni catalysts.The catalytic performances of the supported Ni catalysts on different oxides including SiO2,TiO2,ZrO2,γ-Al2 O3,and MgO as well as several commercial hydrogenation catalysts were investigated.The Ni/ZrO2 catalyst presented the highest 5-AP yield.The characterization results of the oxide-supported Ni catalysts showed that the Ni/ZrO2 catalyst possessed high reducibility and a high surface acid density,which lead to the enhanced activity and selectivity of the catalyst.The effect of reaction parameters on the catalytic performance of the Ni/ZrO2 catalyst was studied,and a high 5-AP yield of 90.8%was achieved in the reductive amination of 2-HTHP aqueous solution under mild conditions of 80℃and 2 MPa H2.The stability of the Ni/ZrO2 catalyst was studied using a continuous flow reactor,and only a slight decrease in the 5-AP yield was observed after a 90-h time-on-stream.Additionally,the reaction pathways for the reductive amination of 2-HTHP to synthesize 5-AP were proposed.

Support effect of the supported ceria-based catalysts during NH_3-SCR reaction

To investigate how the physicochemical properties and NH3‐selective catalytic reduction(NH3‐SCR)performance of supported ceria‐based catalysts are influenced as a function of support type,a series of CeO2/SiO2,CeO2/γ‐Al2O3,CeO2/ZrO2,and CeO2/TiO2catalysts were prepared.The physicochemical properties were probed by means of X‐ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller surface area measurements,X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy,H2‐temperature programmed reduction,and NH3‐temperature programmed desorption.Furthermore,the supported ceria‐based catalysts'catalytic performance and H2O+SO2tolerance were evaluated by the NH3‐SCR model reaction.The results indicate that out of the supported ceria‐based catalysts studied,the CeO2/γ‐Al2O3catalyst exhibits the highest catalytic activity as a result of having a high relative Ce3+/Ce4+ratio,optimum reduction behavior,and the largest total acid site concentration.Finally,the CeO2/γ‐Al2O3catalyst also presents excellent H2O+SO2tolerance during the NH3‐SCR process.

Catalytic performance of highly dispersed WO_3 loaded on CeO_2 in the selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH_3

The influence of tungsten trioxide(WO3)loading on the selective catalytic reduction(SCR)of nitric oxide(NO)by ammonia(NH3)over WO3/cerium dioxide(CeO2)was investigated.The NO conversion first rose and then declined with increasing WO3loading.It was found that the crystalline WO3in the1.6WO3/CeO2sample could be removed in25wt%ammonium hydroxide at70°C,which improved the catalytic activity of the sample.The obtained samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy,hydrogen(H2)temperature programmed reduction,NH3temperature programmed desorption,and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.The results revealed that the dispersed WO3promoted the catalytic activity of WO3/CeO2while the crystalline WO3inhibited catalytic activity.The oxygen activation of CeO2was inhibited by the coverage of WO3,which weakened NO oxidation and adsorption of nitrate species over WO3/CeO2.In addition,the NH3adsorption performance on CeO2was improved by modification with WO3.NH3was the most stable adsorbed species under NH3SCR reaction conditions.In situ DRIFT spectra suggested that the NH3SCR reaction proceeded via the Eley‐Rideal mechanism over WO3/CeO2.Thus,when the loading of WO3was close to the dispersion capacity,the effects of NH3adsorption and activation were maximized to promote the reaction via the Eley‐Rideal route.

4d Metal-doped liquid Ga for efficient ammonia electrosynthesis at wide N_(2) concentrations

Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction under ambient conditions is a promising pathway for ammonia synthesis.Currently nitrogen reduction reactions are carried out in N_(2)-saturated environments and use high-purity nitrogen as feedstock,which is costly.Here,we prepared carbon-coated ultra-low 4d metal Ru-doped liquid metal Ga(Ru_(0.06)/LM@C)for NRR over a wide range of N_(2) concentrations.Comprehensive analyses show that the introduction of the ultra-low 4d element Ru can effectively adjust the electronic structure through orbital interactions,thus enhancing the adsorption of nitrogen-containing intermediates.The liquid catalyst utilized its mobility to provide a higher density of active sites.In addition,the material Ru_(0.06)/Ga@C itself has the ability to promote product desorption.The three act synergistically to optimize the N_(2) mass transfer path,thereby increasing the*NNH coverage and further improving the ammonia yield over a wide range of N_(2) concentrations.The maximum NH_(3) yield of the catalyst can reach 126.0μg h^(-1) mgcat^(-1)(at–0.3 V vs.RHE)with high purity N_(2) as feed gas,and the Faraday efficiency is 60.4%at–0.1 V vs.RHE.Over a wide range of N_(2) concentrations,the NH_(3) yield of the catalyst was greater than 100μg h^(-1) mgcat^(-1) with a Faraday efficiency higher than 47%.The catalytic performance is much higher than that of solid Ga@C and reported p-block metal-based catalysts.