Enhancement of low-temperature activity over Cu-exchanged zeolite beta from organotemplate-free synthesis for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 in exhaust gas streams

•Cu exchanged Al-rich Beta zeolite is a superior low-temperature NH3-SCR catalyst.•Very high NO conversion (>95%) was achieved at 150–400 °C range.•More isolated Cu with easier reduction property are crucial to enhance SCR activity.

A series of Cu-exchanged Al-rich Beta zeolites from organotemplate-free synthesis was prepared and investigated for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 in exhaust gas streams. In comparison to conventional Cu-Beta zeolite with Si/Al ratio of 19, Cu-Beta zeolite with Si/Al ratio of 4 is a superior low-temperature NH3-SCR catalyst. Very high NO conversion (>95%) can be achieved at temperatures as low as 150 to ∼400 °C. XRD, UV–Vis-NIR and NH3-TPD measurements show that more isolated Cu2+ ions are present at the exchange sites of Al-rich Beta zeolite. The combination of CO-FTIR and H2-TPR analysis demonstrates that Cu2+ ions could be reduced more readily on the Al-rich Beta than on the conventional Beta probably due to the proximity of the isolated Cu2+ ions. These can be correlated to the enhancement of NO conversion at lower temperatures over Cu-exchanged Al-rich Beta zeolite.

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