CoMOR zeolite catalyst prepared by buffered ion exchange for effective decomposition of nitrous oxide

Co contained MOR zeolite catalysts with high Co loadings were successfully synthesized by buffered ion exchange at pH 8, and were tested for N(2)O catalytic decomposition. The high exchange level of synthesized CoMOR(x)-BIE catalysts probably benefits from the maximizing hydroxycomplexes Co(OH)(+) ion in the buffered solution, which is more preferred for the ion exchange with the zeolites. It has been found that the novel CoMORx-BIE catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic activities, which is attributed to the large population of isolated Co(2+) ions on ion exchange positions. The most active CoMOR(130)-BIE catalyst shows high resistance to the inhibition of oxygen, NO and water vapor. Furthermore, stability tests indicate that the CoMOR(130)-BIE catalyst has no obvious deactivation under simulated emission conditions after reaction for more than 100 h. This extraordinary durability could be related to its high Co(2+) content and low Bronsted acidity sites in the catalyst, which facilitate the stability of active isolated Co(2+) on ion exchange positions. Thus, the CoMOR(130)-BIE catalyst shows a great potential as a cost-effective catalyst for N(2)O elimination in future applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.