High Catalytic Activity and N2 Selectivity on Catalytic Denitrification by Fe0 and Bimetallic Catalyst

Abstract

This research focused on the improvement of catalytic activity and N2 selectivity in catalytic denitrification by zero-valent iron (Fe0) and bimetallic catalyst. Analysis of optimal operating conditions indicated that Pd-Cu/graphene showed better catalytic performance (catalytic activity: 0.44 mg/L·g·min, N2 selectivity: 70%) than other catalysts under the same following conditions: 4 g/L Fe0, 3 g/L catalyst, 3∶1 Pd:Cu (Pd: 5% by weight), 2-h reaction time, and 5.1 pH. This may be due to graphene’s larger specific surface area, good chemical stability, thermostability, and strong electron transfer illustrated via characterization of SBET, SEM, FTIR, and TG. Finally, experiments on regeneration and reuse of catalysts indicated that acidic washing helped to regenerate the catalysts. However, except for Pd-Cu/diatomite, the catalytic performances of other catalysts appeared to be lower than their original catalysts.