Comparison of Cu-Mg-Al-Ox and Cu/Al2O3 in selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia (NH3-SCO)

Copper-based materials are promising catalysts in the selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia into nitrogen and water vapour (NH 3 -SCO). Investigations under applied reaction conditions over such materials seem to be rare and a comprehensive understanding of the involved active copper oxide species could facilitate a knowledge-based catalyst optimization. In the present work, Cu-Mg-Al-O x mixed metal oxides and Cu/Al 2 O 3 active catalysts in NH 3 -SCO were investigated under NH 3 /O 2 /CO 2 /H 2 O/N 2 reaction conditions. Powder XRD, BET, NH 3 -TPD, H 2 -TPR and XAFS methods were used to characterize Cu-Mg-Al-O x (Cu/Mg/Al = 8/63/29, mol%) and 10 wt% Cu/Al 2 O 3 . Cu-Mg-Al-O x hydrotalcite derived mixed metal oxides were obtained by coprecipitation, while Cu/Al 2 O 3 was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation. A highly dispersed copper oxide species formed on Cu-Mg-Al-O x , while a mixture of highly dispersed (CuO x ) and bulk copper oxide species (CuO and CuAl 2 O 4 ) formed on Cu/Al 2 O 3 . The comparison of Cu-Mg-Al-O x and Cu/Al 2 O 3 in NH 3 -SCO provided good insight into the nature of the active species present in both copper-based catalysts. It was found that highly dispersed easily reducible copper oxide species and bulk copper oxide species appear as active species under NH 3 /O 2 /N 2 and NH 3 /O 2 /CO 2 /H 2 O/N 2 reaction conditions, respectively