On the enhancing effect of Ce in Pd-MOR catalysts for NOx CH4-SCR: A structure-reactivity study

[Display omitted] •This study is focused on PdCe-HMOR as a catalyst for NOx CH4-SCR reaction.•Evidence of Pd2+ ions stabilised in two different positions of MOR is provided.•For the Pd-MOR, N2O formation instead of N2 is favoured above 0.3wt.% of Pd.•The presence of CeO2 species interacting with Pd2+ enhances catalytic performance. The effect of palladium and cerium species on the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx using methane as reductant (NOx CH4-SCR) has been investigated using Pd-HMOR and PdCe-HMOR system. The catalysts have been characterised by H2-TPR, DRS UV–Vis, TEM/EDS and FTIR using CO and pyridine as probe molecules. The oxidation of NO and CH4-SCR catalytic tests have been conducted using monometallic and bimetallic formulations. Above 0.3wt.% Pd, the increase in Pd loading leads to a decrease in NOx selectivity towards N2, with the formation of N2O, and a decrease in the CH4 selectivity towards SCR, due to CH4 direct combustion. H2-TPR and FTIR-CO studies indicate that palladium is stabilised as Pd2+ in ion-exchange position, probably in two different sites within the MOR framework. The addition of cerium to Pd-HMOR enhances its catalytic performance for NOx CH4-SCR. With 1wt.% Ce, both NOx conversion into N2 and CH4 selectivity towards SCR have increased. Small CeO2 clusters interacting with palladium are likely to play a major role in this catalytic reaction. The number of such species increases up to Ce loading of ca. 2wt.%. However, above 3wt%, NOx conversion values decrease with Ce loading, which is attributed to the formation of bulk CeO2 species not interacting with palladium.