Unique Compensation Effects of Heavy Metals and Phosphorus Copoisoning over NOx Reduction Catalysts

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx from the flue gas is still a grand challenge due to the easy deactivation of catalysts. The copoisoning mechanisms and multipoisoning-resistant strategies for SCR catalysts in the coexistence of heavy metals and phosphorus are barely explored. Herein, we unexpectedly found unique compensation effects of heavy metals and phosphorus copoisoning over NOx reduction catalysts and the introduction of heavy metals results in a dramatic recovery of NOx reduction activity for the P-poisoned CeO2/TiO2 catalysts. P preferentially combines with Ce as a phosphate species to reduce the redox capacity and inhibit NO adsorption. Heavy metals preferentially reduced the Brønsted acid sites of the catalyst and inhibited NH3 adsorption. It has been demonstrated that heavy metal phosphate species generated over the copoisoned catalyst, which boosted the activation of NH3 and NO, subsequently bringing about more active nitrate species to relieve the severe impact by phosphorus and maintain the NOx reduction over CeO2/TiO2 catalysts. The heavy metals and P copoisoned catalysts also possessed more acidic sites, redox sites, and surface adsorbed oxygen species, which thus contributed to the highly efficient NOx reduction. This work elaborates the unique compensation effects of heavy metals and phosphorus copoisoning over CeO2/TiO2 catalysts for NOx reduction and provides a perspective for further designing multipoisoning-resistant CeO2-based catalysts to efficiently control NOx emissions in stationary sources.