ZSM-5 nanocrystal promoted low-temperature activity of supported manganese oxides for catalytic oxidation of toluene

Abstract

• Nano-sized ZSM-5 zeolite was prepared by amino acid assisted method. • Effect of the support size on the formation of MnO x species was studied. • Small-sized ZSM-5 can highly disperse active MnO x species. • Abundant oxygen vacancies are formed on the MnO x supported by small-sized ZSM-5. • MnO x /Z5-L 0.2 shows excellent low-temperature activity in toluene combustion reaction. Nanoscale zeolites are of great practical interest due to their advantages of favorable mass transfer, accessibility to active sites, and large external surface area. Herein, ZSM-5 ( MFI -type) nano-sized zeolites were prepared by conventional hydrothermal and amino acid-assisted approaches to support MnO x species. The morphology, acidity, textural properties, and chemical state of the prepared MnO x /ZSM-5 samples are comprehensively characterized. The size effect of ZSM-5 nanocrystals on the physicochemical properties of supported MnO x species and on their catalytic oxidation behavior for the combustion of toluene is investigated. Beneficially from the larger surface area and smaller crystal size, the smaller-sized ZSM-5 zeolite (Z5-L 0.2 , ∼100 nm) prepared by the amino acid-assisted method can highly disperse more active MnO x species than the larger ZSM-5 counterpart (∼500 nm). Owing to abundant surface oxygen vacancies and surface adsorbed oxygen, as well as superior low-temperature reducibility, the MnO x supported on nanosized Z5-L 0.2 zeolites exhibits remarkably enhanced low-temperature activity for the catalytic oxidation of toluene.