NO hydrogenation to NH3 over FeCu/TiO2 catalyst with improved activity

Ammonia is crucial in industry and agriculture, but its production is hindered by environmental concerns and energy-intensive processes. Hence, developing an efficient and environmentally friendly catalyst is imperative. In this study, we employed a straightforward and efficient impregnation technique to create various Cu doped catalysts. Notably, the optimized 10Fe-8Cu/TiO2 catalyst exhibited exceptional catalytic performance in converting NO to NH3, achieving an NO conversion rate exceeding 80% and an NH3 selectivity exceeding 98% at atmospheric pressure and 350 degrees C. We employed in situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and conducted density functional theory calculations to investigate the intermediates and subsequent adsorption. Our findings unequivocally demonstrate that Cu doping enhances the rate-limiting hydrogenation step and lowers the energy barrier for NH3 desorption, thereby resulting in improved NO conversion and enhanced selectivity toward ammonia. This study presents a pioneering approach toward energy-efficient ammonia synthesis and recycling of nitrogen sources.