Nitrous Oxide Adsorption and Decomposition on Zeolites and Zeolite-like Materials

Decomposition of N(2)O on modified zeolites, crystalline titanosilicalites, and related amorphous systems is studied by the catalytic and spectroscopic methods. Zinc-containing HZSM-5 zeolites and titanosilicalites with moderate Ti/Si ratios are shown to exhibit a better catalytic performance in N(2)O decomposition as compared with conventionally used Cu/HZSM-5 zeolites and amorphous Cu-containing catalysts. Dehydroxylation of the HZSM-5 zeolite by calcination at 1120 K results in an enhancement of the N(2)O conversion. The mechanism of the reaction and the role of coordinatively unsaturated cations and Lewis acid sites in N(2)O decomposition are discussed on the basis of the spectroscopic data.