Highly dispersed MnOx nanoparticles supported on three-dimensionally ordered macroporous carbon: a novel nanocomposite for catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 at low temperature

Abstract

In this paper, we report a novel nanocomposite of MnO_x nanoparticles supported by three-dimensionally ordered macroporous carbon (MnO_x/3DOMC) fabricated by means of a simple multi-component infiltration of three-dimensional templates and its use as a catalyst for low-temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x with NH₃. Several techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N₂-sorption, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption, and H₂ temperature-programmed reduction, are employed to characterize the MnO_x/3DOMC nanocomposite. The results demonstrate that MnO_x/3DOMC possesses a highly ordered macroporous structure with hierarchical mesopores in the walls of the macroporous skeleton. MnO_x nanoparticles of 2–4 nm are observed to be highly dispersed on the 3DOM carbon scaffold. Compared with the MnO_x/NAC and MnO_x/TiO₂ catalysts prepared by a conventional impregnation method, the MnO_x/3DOMC catalyst exhibits better low-temperature NH₃-SCR activity, stability, and water vapor and/or SO₂ resistance ability. Such material represents a promising exploratory direction for enhancing the catalytic performance of metal oxide-based NH₃-SCR catalysts.