Quantified NOx adsorption on Pt/K/gamma-Al2O3 and the effects of CO2 and H2O

When 5% CO2 was included in a feed stream with 300 ppm NO and 12% O2, the amount of K-based nitrate storage decreased by 45% after 1 h on stream due to the competition of adsorbed free nitrates with carboxylates for adsorption sites. When 5% H2O was included in a feed stream with 300 ppm NO and 12% O2, the amount of K-based nitrate storage decreased by only 16% after 1 h, but the Al2O3-based nitrates decreased by 92%. Interestingly, with both 5% CO2 and 5% H2O in the feed, the total storage only decreased by 11%, as the hydroxyl groups generated on Al2O3 destabilized the K-CO2 bond; specifically, H2O mitigates the NOx storage capacity losses associated with carboxylate competition.