Cu on amorphous AlPO4: Preparation, characterization and catalytic activity in NO reduction by CO in presence of oxygen

•Cu/AlPO4 catalysts were prepared by Cu (II) ion complexes exchange method.•The Cu loading of 5 wt% represents the maximum amount of exchangeable Cu (II) species.•The 5 wt% Cu catalyst is the most active in NO reduction by CO in presence of O2.•The active sites are Cu (II) octahedral sites reducible at low-temperature.•The 5 wt% Cu catalyst contains even after calcinations at 500 °C well dispersed Cu (II) octahedral sites on the surface.

Cu/AlPO4 catalysts with Cu loading of 1, 2.5 and 5 wt% were prepared by by Cu (II) ion complexes exchange. The catalysts were characterized, at different steps of treatment, by means of several techniques, such as UV–vis–NIR and ESR spectroscopy, TPR/TPO analysis, TEM investigations, butan-2-ol conversion. The NO reduction by CO in presence of oxygen under stoichiometric conditions was investigated. The NO reduction was 100% selective to N2. The most active catalyst was 5Cu/AlPO4 containing the highest amount of dispersed surface copper (II) species, reducible at low temperature.

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