L3-edge X-ray spectroscopy of rhodium and palladium compounds.

L3-edge high-energy-resolution fluorescence-detection X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra for palladium and rhodium compounds are presented, with focus on their electronic structures. The data are compared with transmission XANES spectra recorded at the K-edge. A correlation between the absorption edge energy and the metal ion oxidation state is not observed. Despite the different filling of the 4d orbitals and different local coordination, the Rh and Pd compounds show remarkably similar spectral shapes. Calculation of the density of states and of the L3-XANES data reproduce the experimental results.

Assessing the Influence of Zeolite Composition on Oxygen-Bridged Diamino Dicopper(II) Complexes in Cu-CHA DeNOx Catalysts by Machine Learning-Assisted X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

Cu-exchanged chabazite is the catalyst of choice for NOx abatement in diesel vehicles aftertreatment systems via ammonia-assisted selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR). Herein, we exploit in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy powered by wavelet transform analysis and machine learning-assisted fitting to assess the impact of the zeolite composition on NH3-mobilized Cu-complexes formed during the reduction and oxidation half-cycles in NH3-SCR at 200 °C. Comparatively analyzing well-characterized Cu-CHA catalysts, we show that the Si/Al ratio of the zeolite host affects the structure of mobile dicopper(II) complexes formed during the oxidation of the [CuI(NH3)2]+ complexes by O2. Al-rich zeolites promote a planar coordination motif with longer Cu-Cu interatomic distances, while at higher Si/Al values, a bent motif with shorter internuclear separations is also observed. This is paralleled by a more efficient oxidation at a given volumetric Cu density at lower Si/Al, beneficial for the NOx conversion under NH3-SCR conditions at 200 °C.