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Title: Role of acetate and nitrates in the selective catalytic reduction of NO by propene over alumina catalyst as investigated by FTIR

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry B: Materials, Surfaces, Interfaces, amp Biophysical
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jp984770x· OSTI ID:682099

It is widely accepted that selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by hydrocarbons is a potential method to remove NO{sub x} practically in excess O{sub 2}. Although many studies on SCR are related to zeolitic catalysts, metal oxides are also of importance as promising SCR catalysts due to their high durability. Among oxide catalysts, {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} is one of the most active single oxides for SCR. The mechanism of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by C{sub 3}H{sub 6} on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was investigated using in situ IR spectroscopy. Attention was focused on the reactivity of the adsorbed acetate and nitrates on the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} surface. IR spectra showed that the reaction starts with the nitrates formation from NO + O{sub 2} followed by its reaction with C{sub 3}H{sub 6} to form acetate, which becomes the predominant surface species in the steady-state condition. The acetate band, which was stable in He or NO, significantly decreased when the flowing gas was switched to NO + O{sub 2}. A complementary set of experiments monitoring gas composition showed that N{sub 2} and CO{sub x} were produced by the reaction of acetate with NO + O{sub 2}. The rate of acetate consumption in NO + O{sub 2} exhibited the same order of magnitude as the NO reduction rate, indicating that the acetate is active as a reductant and takes part in the N{sub 2} formation. Nitrates can oxidize both C{sub 3}H{sub 6} and acetate, and are mostly reduced to N{sub 2}. A proposed reaction scheme explains the role of O{sub 2} in facilitating SCR of NO.

OSTI ID:
682099
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry B: Materials, Surfaces, Interfaces, amp Biophysical, Vol. 103, Issue 25; Other Information: PBD: 24 Jun 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English