Revealing the Roles of Cu/Ba on Ce-Based Passive NOx Adsorbers

At present, passive NOx adsorbers (PNAs) represent one of the most effective technologies for addressing NOx emissions from diesel engines during cold-start periods. Conventional PNAs, which primarily consist of noble metals (such as Pt, Pd, and Ag) loaded on metal oxides or zeolites, share the common drawback of high production costs. Consequently, developing low-cost PNAs with outstanding NOx storage performance remains a significant challenge. In this study, a series of CuxBa5Ce adsorbents were synthesized using the impregnation method, and a monolithic adsorbent was employed to evaluate NOx storage and release performance. Techniques such as XRD, UV-Vis DRs, H2-TPR, XPS, and in situ DRIFTs confirmed the crucial roles of Cu and Ba in NOx storage and release. Specifically, the incorporation of Cu into CeO2 enhanced NOx storage performance. Moreover, in the Cu3Ba5Ce adsorbent, the addition of Ba not only introduced new storage sites and altered the stability of NOx adsorption species but also helped prevent the aggregation of CuO, thereby prolonging the complete NOx storage duration and satisfying desorption temperature requirements. The Cu3Ba5Ce adsorbent exhibited the most favorable NOx storage performance, including a complete NOx storage time of 135 s and a NOx storage efficiency exceeding 50% at 80 °C over a 10 min period. While PNAs loaded with noble metals, such as Pd/CeO2 and Pt/CeO2, exhibited NOx storage efficiencies below 50% after adsorbing for 5 min at 80 °C. Therefore, this research offered a crucial strategy for developing non-noble-metal-loaded, Ce-based PNAs.