Effect of core-shell structure and chitosan addition on catalytic activities of copper-containing silica-aluminosilicate composites in deNO(x) reaction by H2.

Mesoporous silica-aluminosilicate composites were used as supports for selective catalytic reduction of NO by H2 using copper catalyst. Effect of loading techniques and structures of the supports on the catalytic performance were investigated. The nature, the oxidation state of copper, the structural properties and the morphology of the catalysts were characterized by means of UV-vis spectra, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen sorption, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. By using substitution technique, the copper(II) species were introduced into the silica-aluminosilicate framework by replacing aluminum atoms that located in the tetrahedral coordination. On the other hand, by using incipient wetness impregnation method, the copper species were deposited on the surface of composite materials. Upon testing their performances in deNO(x) reaction, the catalysts prepared by incipient wetness impregnation method showed higher catalytic activity than those prepared by substitution technique in any copper content. The core-shell structure was able to enhance the catalytic performance. It was found that, among the tested catalysts, the 1.5% Cu loaded core-shell mesoporous silica aluminosilicate composites prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation yielded the highest NO conversion of approximately 59%. However, the addition of chitosan creating macroporosity and controlling the uniform small clusters did not improve the catalytic performance.