Selective catalytic reduction of NO by hydrocarbons over $Cu/Al_2O_3$ catalysts

The reduction of NO by hydrocarbons was investigated over Cu/Al$_2$O$_3$catalysts using a stainless steel flow reactor under highly oxidising diesel exhaust conditions(up to 15%). Three different Cu loadings(1,5 and 10wt.%) on an $Al_2$O$_3$support were prepared and characterized using spectroscopic techniques. The catalytic activity tests show that different Cu loadings as well as temperature, oxygen, and hydrocarbon concentration levels significantly influence the NO reduction. Increasing Cu loadings up to 5 and 10wt.% decreases the catalytic activities for NO reduction due to the formation of a bulk crystalline CuO phase, as observed from XRD and SEM images. In particular, the visualization of the copper dispersion on the surface using the SEM-BEI technique provides information on the extent of copper saturation, particle size, and the effects on NO reduction. However, the lower Cu loading(1 wt.%) increases the catalytic activity with a temperature window of 720-810K, thereby favoring the formation of well dispersed isolated Cu species, e.g. Cu(sup)2+ ions, which is related to selective NO reduction. The effects of other reaction parameters, such as oxygen, the hydrocarbon level and type, and byproduct emissions are further discussed.