Highly efficient NO abatement over Cu-ZSM-5 with special nanosheet features

Conventional Cu-ZSM-5 and special Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts with diverse morphologies (nanoparticles, nanosheets, hollow spheres) were synthesized and comparatively investigated for their performances in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO to N₂ with ammonia. Significant differences in SCR behavior were observed, and nanosheet-like Cu-ZSM-5 showed the best SCR performance with the lowest T₅₀ of 130 °C and nearly complete conversion in the temperature range of 200–400 °C. It was found that Cu-ZSM-5 nanosheets [mainly exposed (0 1 0) crystal plane] with abundant mesopores and framework Al species were favorable for the formation of high external surface areas and Al pairs, which influenced the local environment of Cu. This motivated the preferential formation of active copper species and the rapid switch between Cu²⁺ and Cu⁺ species during NH₃-SCR, thus exhibiting the highest NO conversion. In situ diffused reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results indicated that the Cu-ZSM-5 nanosheets were dominated by the Eley–Rideal (E–R) mechanism and the labile nitrite species (NH₄NO₂) were the crucial intermediates during the NH₃-SCR process, while the inert nitrates were more prone to generate on Cu-ZSM-5 nanoparticles and conventional one. The combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the decomposition energy barrier of nitrosamide species (NH₂NO) on the (0 1 0) crystal plane of Cu-ZSM-5 was lower than those on (0 0 1) and (1 0 0) crystal planes. This study provides a strategy for the design of NH₃-SCR zeolite catalysts.

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