The Cu migration of Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst for ammonia selective catalytic reduction of NOx during high temperature hydrothermal aging treatment

Two kinds of Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts, prepared with a one-pot technique using Cu- tetraethylenepentamine as co-template and an ion-exchange method, were hydrothermally treated at 750 °C for at least 16 h. The migration of Cu species during hydrothermal treatment and the corresponding effect on the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx were examined and characterized. A certain amount of CuO exists outside and inner the crystallites in the as prepared ion-exchanged sample, whereas copper is mainly atomically dispersed in the one-pot sample existing as isolated Cu2+. After hydrothermal treatment for 16 h, the amount of the inner nanosized CuO in the ion-exchanged sample reduced and the copper disperses to form more isolated Cu2+. However, surface CuO particles increase at the sacrifice of isolated Cu2+ with extending the hydrothermal treatment to 24 h. Aggregation of Cu2+ species also happens during the aging treatment over the one-pot prepared sample where the initial Cu is atomically dispersed as isolated Cu2+. The increase of the amount of the isolated Cu2+ enhances the low-temperature (