Superior room-temperature efficacy of selective catalytic reduction of NO by CO utilizing metal-modified Fe2O3 catalysts

Fe2O3-based catalysts demonstrate significant potential for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by CO. However, their effectiveness is limited at lower temperatures, impeding widespread industrial adoption. To overcome this, we optimize the Fe2O3-based catalyst component through 3 wt% cobalt (Co) loading, which improves the synergistic removal of CO and NOx pollutants. Our developed catalyst, Co-Fe2O3 on an amorphous SiO2 substrate, exhibits superior room-temperature activity in CO-SCR, achieving CO and NOx conversion ratios as well as N2 selectivity above 80 % at 25 °C, and over 93 % at 100–500 °C. The enhancement in catalyst performance is elucidated through density functional theory calculations and experimental investigations, revealing the creation of heteronuclear active sites via metal modification, and consequent improvements in redox characteristics and acidity. Our findings offer a robust pathway towards the industrial implementation of ammonia-free-SCR technology with synergistic removal of CO and NOx and provide insights for designing superior heterogeneous catalysts.