Copper Single Atom-Triggered Niobia–Ceria Catalyst for Efficient Low-Temperature Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides

To reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission from diesel engines in the cold-start process benefitting the atmospheric environment, catalysts with superior low-temperature NOx removal efficiency are highly demanded. Herein, we report an efficient Nb2O5/CuO/CeO2 (NbCuCe) oxide catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx, showing much higher DeNOx activity below 200 °C, superior sulfur resistance, faster response, and much less NH3 slip than the state-of-the-art Cu-CHA zeolite catalyst. Atomically dispersed Cu species facilitate the strong interaction between Cu and the Nb/Ce base catalyst, which significantly improves the low-temperature redox properties at Cu–O–Ce sites and NH3 adsorption/activation at Nb–O–Cu sites, thus contributing to the superior SCR performance of NbCuCe at low temperatures. The developed NbCuCe catalyst is highly promising for efficient DeNOx from cold-start diesel engines and can be coupled with Cu-CHA to achieve a broad operation temperature window.