Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2026, Vol. 89: 76-101.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65136-4
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Ruiyuan Liua, Chengyang Yinb, Chengming Zhonga,*(
), Jia Houa, Xiaofei Songa, Jian Liua, Zhen Zhaoa,b,*(
)
Received:2025-12-28
Accepted:2026-02-14
Online:2026-10-18
Published:2026-09-01
Contact:
*E-mail:zhongchengming2022@126.com(C. Zhong),zhenzhao@cup.edu.cn/zhaozhen1586@163.com(Z. Zhao).
About author:Chengming Zhong (College of Science & State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum-Beijing) He received his M.S. degree from China University of Petroleum-Beijing in 2020. Since 2020, he has been pursuing his Ph.D. degree at China University of Petroleum-Beijing. His research interests are focused on catalyst design and catalysis nature study for environmental catalysis, especially for vehicle exhaust emission control and industrial flue gas emission control from non-electric industries. He has published 2 peer-reviewed papers and been granted 1 authorized invention patent.Supported by:Ruiyuan Liu, Chengyang Yin, Chengming Zhong, Jia Hou, Xiaofei Song, Jian Liu, Zhen Zhao. Fundamental insight into copper-based zeolite catalysts for NH3-SCR: Two decades’ progress and future perspectives[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 89: 76-101.
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URL: https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65136-4
Fig. 2. Low temperature NH3-SCR reaction mechanisms and strategies for diffusion limitation, hydrothermal stability, and SO2 resistance of Cu based zeolite.
| Catalyst | Active range | Preparation method | Conditions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5Cu/0.6NaZSM-5 | 220-400 °C (T80) | Ion exchange method | 200 ppm NO, 200 ppm NH3, 10% O2, 6% H2O, GHSV = 125000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-ZSM-5-ZrO2 | 210-400 °C (T80) | Ion exchange method | 500ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 10% O2, 1.5% H2O, GHSV = 28000 h-1 | [ |
| CuCe/ZSM-5 | 250-400 °C (T90) | Impregnation method | 1000 ppm NO, 1100 ppm NH3, 5% O2,10% H2O, GHSV = 30000 h-1 | [ |
| Ce1-Cu4/ZSM-5 | 185-470 °C (T90) | Impregnation method | 500 ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 5% O2, GHSV = 55000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-Zr/ZSM-5 | 167-452 °C (T95) | Ion exchange method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, 10% O2, GHSV = 100000 h-1 | [ |
| CuCe0.75Zr0.25/ZSM-5 | 175-468 °C (T95) | Ion exchange method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, 10% O2, GHSV = 15000 h-1 | [ |
| NSL-Cu-ZSM-5 | 250-550 °C (T100) | Ion exchange method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, 8% O2, 5% H2O, GHSV = 50000 h-1 | [ |
Table 1 The range of activity prepared by different methods (ZSM-5).
| Catalyst | Active range | Preparation method | Conditions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5Cu/0.6NaZSM-5 | 220-400 °C (T80) | Ion exchange method | 200 ppm NO, 200 ppm NH3, 10% O2, 6% H2O, GHSV = 125000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-ZSM-5-ZrO2 | 210-400 °C (T80) | Ion exchange method | 500ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 10% O2, 1.5% H2O, GHSV = 28000 h-1 | [ |
| CuCe/ZSM-5 | 250-400 °C (T90) | Impregnation method | 1000 ppm NO, 1100 ppm NH3, 5% O2,10% H2O, GHSV = 30000 h-1 | [ |
| Ce1-Cu4/ZSM-5 | 185-470 °C (T90) | Impregnation method | 500 ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 5% O2, GHSV = 55000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-Zr/ZSM-5 | 167-452 °C (T95) | Ion exchange method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, 10% O2, GHSV = 100000 h-1 | [ |
| CuCe0.75Zr0.25/ZSM-5 | 175-468 °C (T95) | Ion exchange method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, 10% O2, GHSV = 15000 h-1 | [ |
| NSL-Cu-ZSM-5 | 250-550 °C (T100) | Ion exchange method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, 8% O2, 5% H2O, GHSV = 50000 h-1 | [ |
Fig. 3. Reaction mechanism of the NH3-SCR reaction over ZCuOH species. (a) Reprinted with permission from Ref. [72]. Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society. (b) Reprinted with permission from Ref. [29]. Copyright 2023, American Chemical Society.
| Catalyst | Active range | Preparation method | Conditions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu-SSZ-13 | 170-450 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, and 10% O2, | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-13 | 245-460 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 500 ppm NO, 530 ppm NH3, 7% O2, 5% H2O, GHSV = 450000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-13 | 250-550 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 500 ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 5% O2, GHSV = 800000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu&Zn-SSZ-13 | 200-600 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 600 ppm NO, 600 ppm NH3, 6% O2, 5 % H2O, GHSV ≈ 400000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu, M/SSZ-13 | 250-500 °C (T95) | ion exchange method | 350 ppm NO, 350 ppm NH3, 14% O2, 2.5% H2O, GHSV = 100000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-Na-SSZ-13 | 150-650 °C (T85) | ion exchange method | 500 ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 10% O2, 5% H2O, GHSV = 80000 h-1 | [ |
Table 2 The range of activity prepared by different methods (SSZ-13).
| Catalyst | Active range | Preparation method | Conditions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu-SSZ-13 | 170-450 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 1000 ppm NO, 1000 ppm NH3, and 10% O2, | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-13 | 245-460 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 500 ppm NO, 530 ppm NH3, 7% O2, 5% H2O, GHSV = 450000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-13 | 250-550 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 500 ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 5% O2, GHSV = 800000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu&Zn-SSZ-13 | 200-600 °C (T90) | one-pot method | 600 ppm NO, 600 ppm NH3, 6% O2, 5 % H2O, GHSV ≈ 400000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu, M/SSZ-13 | 250-500 °C (T95) | ion exchange method | 350 ppm NO, 350 ppm NH3, 14% O2, 2.5% H2O, GHSV = 100000 h-1 | [ |
| Cu-Na-SSZ-13 | 150-650 °C (T85) | ion exchange method | 500 ppm NO, 500 ppm NH3, 10% O2, 5% H2O, GHSV = 80000 h-1 | [ |
Fig. 6. The location of Cu and its migration in different atmospheres. (a) Relative binding energy of Cu2+-2Z under different possible Al arrangements. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [133]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier B.V. (b) HSE06-optimized structures of Cu sites. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [130]. Copyright 2016, American Chemical Society. (c) Cu positions (gray balls) visited during 90 ps of NVT AIMD at 298 K. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [130]. Copyright 2016, American Chemical Society. (d) Cu positions (gray balls) sampled inside the zeolite cage during 90 ps of equilibrated NVT AIMD at 473 K for the most stable NH3-solvated CuI and CuII species. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [130]. Copyright 2016, American Chemical Society. (e) Reactant state (1) [CuI(NH3)2 in the same cage as Al], transition state (2) [CuI(NH3)2 diffusion through 8-MR], and product state (3) [CuI(NH3)2 in the neighboring cage without Al]. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [135]. Copyright 2017, The American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fig. 7. Proposed low-temperature SCR catalytic cycle. (a) Reprinted with permission from Ref. [142]. Copyright 2017, American Chemical Society. (b) Reprinted with permission from Ref. [135]. Copyright 2017, The American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fig. 8. TRM experiments over pre-oxidized Cu-CHA (a) and transient kinetic fits of the NO and N2 traces (b). Reprinted with permission from Ref. [151]. Copyright 2021, Wiley-VCH.
Fig. 9. (a) (I) Phase-uncorrected k2-weighted FT-EXAFS curves during exposure of the Cu-CHA catalyst to NO/NH3/He (dark blue thick line), followed by 10% O2 in He (gray thin lines; red thick line: final spectrum; dark gray dashed line: pretreatment in O2 by heating in O2 up to 400 °C and subsequently cooling in O2 down to 200 °C prior to XAS data collection, step 1. (II) Illustration of [Cu(NH3)2]+ and (III) μ-η2, η2-peroxo diamino dicopper (side-on) complexes. Atom color code: Cu, green; H, white; O, red; N, blue. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [155]. Copyright 2020, American Chemical Society. (b) Simulation of O2 adsorption and oxidation of two CuI(NH3)2 equivalents. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [135]. Copyright 2017, The American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fig. 10. Ex-situ Cu speciation phase diagrams based on HSE06-Tsvdw calculations on 1Al (a) and 2Al (b) Cu exchange sites. Regions indicate site composition that minimizes free energy at 2% H2O and given T and PO2. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [130]. Copyright 2016, American Chemical Society.
Fig. 11. (a) Schematic illustration of dynamic 15NH3 exchange between NH4+ and [Cu(NH3)2]+ species in Cu-CHA. Framework Si and Al atoms are depicted in blue and red, respectively, while Cu cations are shown in gold, with orange arrows indicating possible exchange pathways within the Cu-CHA pores. (b) Solid-state 2D exchange 15N NMR spectrum of fresh Cu-CHA recorded at 53 °C following 15NH3 exposure at 120 °C and subsequent reduction in 15NO at 300 °C; 1D projections are displayed along the horizontal and vertical axes. (c) Evolution of on-diagonal (red and blue) and off-diagonal (orange) peak intensities as a function of mixing time in 2D 15N exchange NMR spectra acquired at 53 °C, 11.7 T, and 12.5 kHz MAS for fresh Cu-CHA. (d) Eyring plots of temperature-dependent exchange rate coefficients derived from global fitting of data such as those in panel (c), measured at 41, 53, and 66 °C for fresh (black), 4-h-aged (red), and 16-h-aged (blue) Cu-CHA catalysts; error bars represent uncertainties estimated via Monte Carlo error propagation. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [171]. Copyright 2025, American Chemical Society.
Fig. 12. The deactivation mechanism of hydrothermal aging of Cu-SSZ-13 with different Cu contents. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [178]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier B.V.
Fig. 13. Schematic diagram of the preparation of a core-shell catalyst. (a) Cu-Ce-La/SSZ-13@ZSM-5 core-shell catalyst. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [195]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier B.V. (b) Cu-SSZ-13@CZO core-shell catalyst. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [196]. Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society.
Fig. 15. Transformation synthesis of aluminosilicate SSZ-39 zeolite from ZSM-5 and Beta zeolite. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [239]. Copyright 2019, Royal Society of Chemistry.
| Catalyst | Active range | Conditions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cu-SSZ-39 | 250-550 °C (T80) | 800 °C, 12 h | [ |
| MnCu-SSZ-39 | 250-550 °C (T90) | 850 °C, 12 h | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-39 | 225-450 °C (T90) | 900 °C, 5 h | [ |
| Cu/Y-SSZ-39 | 200-550 °C (T70) | 900 °C, 10 h | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-39 | 225-500 °C (T85) | 850 °C, 16 h | [ |
| Cu-Y-SSZ-39 | 200-550 °C (T80) | 940 °C, 3 h | [ |
Table 3 The activity range after hydrothermal aging (SSZ-39).
| Catalyst | Active range | Conditions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cu-SSZ-39 | 250-550 °C (T80) | 800 °C, 12 h | [ |
| MnCu-SSZ-39 | 250-550 °C (T90) | 850 °C, 12 h | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-39 | 225-450 °C (T90) | 900 °C, 5 h | [ |
| Cu/Y-SSZ-39 | 200-550 °C (T70) | 900 °C, 10 h | [ |
| Cu-SSZ-39 | 225-500 °C (T85) | 850 °C, 16 h | [ |
| Cu-Y-SSZ-39 | 200-550 °C (T80) | 940 °C, 3 h | [ |
Fig. 16. NH3-SCR performance of fresh (a) and HTA (b) catalysts after 850 °C for 16 h. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [244]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier B.V.
Fig. 17. The supposed reaction mechanism of NH3-SCR on Cu/SSZ-39. (a) Reprinted with permission from Ref. [248]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier B.V. (b) Reprinted with permission from Ref. [249]. Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society.
Fig. 18. Structure of the fresh, dehydrated Cu-LTA-16-0.48 catalyst. A Cu2+ cation located at the center of a single 6-ring is shown at the right. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [33]. Copyright 2017, Wiley-VCH.
Fig. 20. (a) HRTEM image of as-made ChRbLi-PST-9. (b) ADF-STEM image of ChRbLi-PST-9 obtained along the b-axis after sectioning the nanosheet by ultramicrotome. (c) Projected potential map constructed based on the ADF-STEM image in plane group pmg showing the structure of PST-9 viewed along the b-axis. (d) Simulated powder XRD pattern. (e) Simulated 29Si MAS NMR spectra of as-made ChRbLi-PST-9. (f) 1H NMR spectra of organic SDA, choline. (g,h) Structures of PST-9 along the b-axis and c-axis. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [269]. Copyright 2019, Wiley-VCH.
Fig. 22. (a-d) SCR reaction rates at different temperatures of Cu-T, Cu-ERI, and Cu-OFF before and after hydrothermal aging treatment, and in-situ DRIFTS spectra of NO + O2 saturation adsorption. (e) NH4NO3 decomposition pathway assisted with/without BAS. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [276]. Copyright 2024 American Chemical Society.
Fig. 23. (a) OSDA reported to crystallize CHA and ERI with the candidate OSDA presented. (b) Comparison between the templating energies of the OSDAs with the CHA and ERI frameworks. (c) Relationship between the shape of the OSDAs and their binding energies toward CHA or ERI. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [277]. Copyright 2024, American Chemical Society.
| Catalyst | Topological structure | Cu location | Active range (fresh) | Active range (aged) | Primary applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu-ZSM-5 | MFI | 10-MR, 6-MR | 200-450 °C | poor | low-temperature stationary sources |
| Cu-SSZ-13 | CHA | 6-MR, 8MR | 180-550 °C | 225-450 °C (T90, 800 °C, 16 h) | diesel vehicle exhaust |
| Cu-SSZ-39 | AEI | 6-MR, 8MR | 225-550 °C | 225-500 °C (T85, 850 °C, 16 h) | next-generation diesel vehicles |
| Cu-LTA | LTA | 6-MR | 250-580 °C | 225-500 °C (T90, 900 °C, 24 h) | high-temperature stationary sources |
| Cu-SSZ-16 | AFX | gme, aft | 175-600 °C | 225-450 °C (T85, 800 °C, 16 h) | gas turbine |
| Cu-PST-9 | PST-9 | 8-MR | 220-500 °C | 225-500 °C (T80) | multifunctional catalysis |
| Cu-OFF/ERI | OFF/ERI | interface 6-MR | 175-550 °C | 225-500 °C (T90, 750 °C, 16 h) | alternative Cu-SSZ-13 |
Table 4 Comparison of Cu-zeolite catalysts with different topological structures.
| Catalyst | Topological structure | Cu location | Active range (fresh) | Active range (aged) | Primary applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu-ZSM-5 | MFI | 10-MR, 6-MR | 200-450 °C | poor | low-temperature stationary sources |
| Cu-SSZ-13 | CHA | 6-MR, 8MR | 180-550 °C | 225-450 °C (T90, 800 °C, 16 h) | diesel vehicle exhaust |
| Cu-SSZ-39 | AEI | 6-MR, 8MR | 225-550 °C | 225-500 °C (T85, 850 °C, 16 h) | next-generation diesel vehicles |
| Cu-LTA | LTA | 6-MR | 250-580 °C | 225-500 °C (T90, 900 °C, 24 h) | high-temperature stationary sources |
| Cu-SSZ-16 | AFX | gme, aft | 175-600 °C | 225-450 °C (T85, 800 °C, 16 h) | gas turbine |
| Cu-PST-9 | PST-9 | 8-MR | 220-500 °C | 225-500 °C (T80) | multifunctional catalysis |
| Cu-OFF/ERI | OFF/ERI | interface 6-MR | 175-550 °C | 225-500 °C (T90, 750 °C, 16 h) | alternative Cu-SSZ-13 |
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