V-Cu bimetallic oxide supported catalysts for synergistic removal of toluene and NOx from coal-fired flue gas: The crucial role of support

It is a major challenge to achieve effective synergistic reduction of NOx and VOCs in coal-fired flue gas under complex working conditions. In this work, V-Cu bimetallic oxide catalysts with different supports were designed. V1-Cu5 bimetallic oxide supported on TiO2 showed significantly higher activity for simultaneous toluene oxidation and NOx reduction than that supported on ZSM-5, SiO2 and γ-Al2O3. Meanwhile, it exhibited excellent stability and anti-poisoning performance, and could block the formation of toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in by-products. Compared with ZSM-5, SiO2 and γ-Al2O3, TiO2 as support was conducive to the formation of abundant acidic sites and oxygen vacancies. In addition, the strong interaction between the metal active sites and TiO2 accelerated the electron transfer from Cu to adsorbed O2, thus promoting the formation of active O2−. This work can provide guidance for the development of catalysts designed for the simultaneous catalytic removal of NOx and VOCs.