Decomposition of Nitrous Oxide using a Copper‐supported Shirasu Catalyst

Abstract This work firstly reported catalytic activity of copper species supported on Shirasu‐based materials for decomposition of nitrous oxide. From the results of EDS and XPS analyses, the bulk and surface compositions of the supported copper species depends on its impregnation conditions. The copper species were preferably supported on the surface silica sites of the Shirasu‐based materials with addition of ammonia during the impregnation process, and the amount of the copper species increased with increasing the amount of ammonia. The catalysts with the active copper species preferably supported on the silica sites exhibited high activity for decomposition of nitrous oxide. The catalytic activity also depended on the kinds of Shirasu‐based materials, and the copper‐supported catalyst on a Shirasu balloon, A3NN, showed the highest activity. The catalytic activity improved with addition of ammonia into the feed reactant gas, and nitrous oxide in the mixed gas was completely decomposed above 673 K.