Copper/Nickel/Cobalt modified molybdenum-tungsten-titanium dioxide-based catalysts for multi-pollution control of nitrogen oxide, benzene, and toluene: Enhanced redox capacity and mechanism study

Previous studies have indicated the potential of monometallic-modified TiO2 catalysts in controlling nitrogen oxide (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coal-fired flue gas. Unfortunately, increasing selective catalytic reduction (SCR) activity under complicated coal-fired flue gas status is tricky. In this study, modified Co-MoWTiO2 catalysts with multiple active sites were synthesized using the wet impregnation method, which exhibited excellent multi-pollution control ability of NO, benzene and toluene under low oxygen and high SO2 concentrations. The modification of Mo and Co achieved high dispersion and electron transfer. The interaction between W5+/W6+ and Co2+/Co3+ promoted gas-phase O2 adsorption on the catalyst surface, forming of reactive oxygen species (Oα). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations informed that the doping of Co effectively enhanced the NH3 and O2 adsorption capacity of the catalyst, and Co possessed the maximum adsorption energy for NH3 and O2. Possible pathways of multi-pollution control of NO, C6H6, and C7H8 were speculated. NH3/NH4+ on the Lewis/Bronsted acid site is reacted with intermediates of NO (e.g., NO2, nitrite, nitrate) via the Langmuir-Hinshelwood and Eley-Rideal mechanism. The introduction of NO and NH3 did not disrupt the oxidation pathways of benzene and toluene. Following the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism, C6H6 and C7H8 were progressively mineralized by Oα into CO2 and H2O.