Progress on Noble Metal-Based Catalysts Dedicated to the Selective Catalytic Ammonia Oxidation into Nitrogen and Water Vapor (NH₃-SCO)

Abstract

A recent development for selective ammonia oxidation into nitrogen and water vapor (NH3-SCO) over noble metal-based catalysts is covered in the mini-review. As ammonia (NH3) can harm human health and the environment, it led to stringent regulations by environmental agencies around the world. With the enforcement of the Euro VI emission standards, in which a limitation for NH3 emissions is proposed, NH3 emissions are becoming more and more of a concern. Noble metal-based catalysts (i.e., in the metallic form, noble metals supported on metal oxides or ion-exchanged zeolites, etc.) were rapidly found to possess high catalytic activity for NH3 oxidation at low temperatures. Thus, a comprehensive discussion of property-activity correlations of the noble-based catalysts, including Pt-, Pd-, Ag- and Au-, Ru-based catalysts is given. Furthermore, due to the relatively narrow operating temperature window of full NH3 conversion, high selectivity to N2O and NOx as well as high costs of noble metal-based catalysts, recent developments are aimed at combining the advantages of noble metals and transition metals. Thus, also a brief overview is provided about the design of the bifunctional catalysts (i.e., as dual-layer catalysts, mixed form (mechanical mixture), hybrid catalysts having dual-layer and mixed catalysts, core-shell structure, etc.). Finally, the general conclusions together with a discussion of promising research directions are provided.

Keywords

• noble metals
• supported oxides
• bifunctional catalysts
• NH₃-SCO