Hard Template-Assisted Trans-Crystallization Synthesis of Hierarchically Porous Cu-SSZ-13 with Enhanced NH3-SCR Performance

Abstract

Small porous Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts have recently been commercialized for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH3-SCR) on diesel vehicles. Unfortunately, the conventional Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst still confronts the challenge of diffusion limitations, which represent a major obstacle that reduces the catalyst’s SCR performance. Herein, a hierarchically porous SSZ-13 zeolite was synthesized via a trans-crystallization method assisted by the use of carbon black as a hard template in a short synthetic period, and the corresponding Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts with mesopores exhibited improved low-temperature activity and hydrothermal stability when compared with their microporous counterpart. A series of characterizations revealed that the mesopores are conducive to an increase in Cu loading while helping to stabilize the CHA structure and maintain the Cu species in their ionic form. More importantly, intra-particle diffusion limitations are reduced via the introduction of the mesopores owing to the shortened diffusion path inside the SSZ-13 zeolite, thus not only enhancing the active sites’ accessibility but also promoting the diffusion of the reactants and products. This work contributes to the design and synthesis of a high-performance Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite SCR catalyst for the removal of NOx emitted from diesel vehicles.