Jong H. Lee

Two different cationic positions in Cu-SSZ-13?

H(2)-TPR and FTIR were used to characterize the nature of the Cu ions present in the Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite at different ion exchange levels. The results obtained are consistent with the presence of Cu ions at two distinct cationic positions in the SSZ-13 framework.

The Effect of Copper Loading on the Selective Catalytic Reduction of Nitric Oxide by Ammonia Over Cu-SSZ-13

The effect of Cu loading on the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3 was examined over a series of Cu ion-exchanged (20–80%) SSZ-13 zeolite catalysts. High NO reduction efficiencies (80–95%) were obtained over all catalyst samples between 250 and 500xa0°C, and at the gas hourly space velocity of 200,000xa0h−1. Both NO reduction and NH3 oxidation activities under these conditions were found to increase slightly with increasing Cu loading at low temperatures. However, NO reduction activity was suppressed with increasing Cu loadings at high temperatures (>500xa0°C) due to excess NH3 oxidation. The optimum Cu ion exchange level appears to be ~40–60% since higher than 80% NO reduction efficiency was obtained over 50% Cu ion-exchanged SSZ-13 up to 600xa0°C. The NO oxidation activity of Cu-SSZ-13 was found to be low regardless of Cu loading, although it was somewhat improved with increasing Cu ion exchange level at high temperatures. During the “fast” SCR (i.e., NO/NO2xa0=xa01), only a slight improvement in NOx reduction activity was obtained for Cu-SSZ-13. Regardless of Cu loading, near 100% selectivity to N2 was observed; only a very small amount of N2O was produced even in the presence of NO2. The apparent activation energies for NO oxidation and NO SCR were estimated to be ~58 and ~41xa0kJ/mol, respectively.Graphical Abstract.

A Common Intermediate for N2 Formation in Enzymes and Zeolites: Side‐On Cu–Nitrosyl Complexes

Side on! Combined FTIR and NMR studies revealed the presence of a side-on nitrosyl species in the zeolite Cu-SSZ-13. This intermediate is very similar to those found in nitrite reductase enzyme systems. The identification of this intermediate led to the proposal of a reaction mechanism that is fully consistent with the results of both kinetic and spectroscopic studies.

Final Report of a CRADA Between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the General Motors Company (CRADA No. PNNL/271): “Degradation Mechanisms of Urea Selective Catalytic Reduction Technology”

Diesel engines can offer substantially higher fuel efficiency, good driving performance characteristics, and reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emission compared to stoichiometric gasoline engines. Despite the increasing public demand for higher fuel economy and reduced dependency on imported oil, however, meeting the stringent emission standards with affordable methods has been a major challenge for the wide application of these fuel-efficient engines in the US market. The selective catalytic reduction of NOx by urea (urea-SCR) is one of the most promising technologies for NOx emission control for diesel engine exhausts. To ensure successful NOx emission control in the urea-SCR technology, both a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and a urea-SCR catalyst with high activity and durability are critical for the emission control system. Because the use of this technology for light-duty diesel vehicle applications is new, the relative lack of experience makes it especially challenging to satisfy the durability requirements. Of particular concern is being able to realistically simulate actual field aging of the catalyst systems under laboratory conditions, which is necessary both as a rapid assessment tool for verifying improved performance and certifiability of new catalyst formulations. In addition, it is imperative to develop a good understanding of deactivation mechanisms to help develop improved catalyst materials. In this CRADA program, General Motors Company and PNNL have investigated fresh, laboratory- and vehicle-aged DOC and SCR catalysts. The studies have led to a better understanding of various aging factors that impact the long-term performance of catalysts used in the urea-SCR technology, and have improved the correlation between laboratory and vehicle aging for reduced development time and cost. This Final Report briefly highlights many of the technical accomplishments and documents the productivity of the program in terms of peer-reviewed scientific publications (2 total), reports (3 total including this Final Report), and presentations (5 total).