Revealing the roles of Zr on enhanced H2-SCR performances on Pt/TiO2 catalyst

The development of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2-ICEs) to replace conventional fuel engines is expected to be an effective way to reduce CO2 emissions, but some NOx emitted from the H2-ICEs still should be eliminated by the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with H2 (H2-SCR). Large amount of platinum oxide existed on Pt/TiO2 leads to its low H2-SCR activity. In contrast, the Zr-modified Pt/TiO2 catalysts exhibit a higher NOx conversion and N2 selectivity in a wider temperature window (100–180 °C) than those of Pt/TiO2. The appropriately weakened strong interaction between Pt and TiO2 by Zr induces more Pt0 species, which are active sites for the activation of NOx and H2 in H2-SCR reaction. More oxygen vacancies caused by the formation of Zr-Ov-Ti3+ bands involve in the activation of NOx and the adsorption of nitrates (NOx−) species. Furthermore, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTs) demonstrates that Pt/ZrxTi1-x catalysts possess more adsorbed NOx− species and a faster reduction rate for them. Monodentate and bridged nitrates are considered to be a more reactive with H2 than bidentate nitrates at relatively low temperatures. This work provides directions for the development of high-performance H2-SCR catalysts and the modulation of the conversion temperature.