Thomas Simons

Zeolites as nanoporous, gas-sensitive materials for in situ monitoring of DeNOx-SCR

Summary In a proof-of-concept study we demonstrate in situ reaction monitoring of DeNOx-SCR on proton-conducting zeolites serving as catalyst and gas sensor at the same time. By means of temperature-dependent impedance spectroscopy we found that the thermally induced NH3 desorption in H-form and in Fe-loaded zeolite H-ZSM-5 follow the same process, while a remarkable difference under DeNOx-SCR reaction conditions was found. The Fe-loaded catalyst shows a significantly lower onset temperature, and time-dependent measurements suggest different SCR reaction mechanisms for the two catalysts tested. These results may help in the development of catalysts for the reduction of NOx emissions and ammonia consumption, and provide insight into the elementary catalytic process promoting a full description of the NH3-SCR reaction system.

Correlating the Integral Sensing Properties of Zeolites with Molecular Processes by Combining Broadband Impedance and DRIFT Spectroscopy : A New Approach for Bridging the Scales

Zeolites have been found to be promising sensor materials for a variety of gas molecules such as NH3, NOx, hydrocarbons, etc. The sensing effect results from the interaction of the adsorbed gas molecules with mobile cations, which are non-covalently bound to the zeolite lattice. The mobility of the cations can be accessed by electrical low-frequency (LF; mHz to MHz) and high-frequency (HF; GHz) impedance measurements. Recent developments allow in situ monitoring of catalytic reactions on proton-conducting zeolites used as catalysts. The combination of such in situ impedance measurements with diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), which was applied to monitor the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (DeNOx-SCR), not only improves our understanding of the sensing properties of zeolite catalysts from integral electric signal to molecular processes, but also bridges the length scales being studied, from centimeters to nanometers. In this work, recent developments of zeolite-based, impedimetric sensors for automotive exhaust gases, in particular NH3, are summarized. The electrical response to NH3 obtained from LF impedance measurements will be compared with that from HF impedance measurements, and correlated with the infrared spectroscopic characteristics obtained from the DRIFTS studies of molecules involved in the catalytic conversion. The future perspectives, which arise from the combination of these methods, will be discussed.

The effect of Cu and Fe cations on NH3-supported proton transport in DeNOx-SCR zeolite catalysts

Proton transport studies revealed the different influence of Fe and Cu cations on the NH3–zeolite interaction and the NO–zeolite interaction in the presence of adsorbed NH3. At low temperatures, after NH3 saturation, Cu-ZSM-5 is more reactive than Fe-ZSM-5 for NO activation forming highly mobile NH4+ intermediates.