For the first time, the standard and fast selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by NH3 are described in a complete catalytic cycle that is able to produce the correct stoichiometry while allowing adsorption and desorption of stable molecules only. The standard SCR reaction is a coupling of the activation of NO by O2 with the fast SCR reaction, enabled by the release of NO2. According to the scheme, the SCR reaction can be divided into an oxidation of the catalyst by NO + O2 and a reduction by NO + NH3; these steps together constitute a complete catalytic cycle. Furthermore, both NO and NH3 are required in the reduction, and finally, oxidation by NO + O2 or NO2 leads to the same state of the catalyst. These points are shown experimentally for a Cu-CHA catalyst by combining in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A consequence of the reaction scheme is that all intermediates in fast SCR are also part of the standard SCR cycle. The activation energy calculated by density functional theory (DFT) indicates that the oxidation of an NO molecule by O2 to a bidentate nitrate ligand is rate-determining for standard SCR. Finally, the role of a nitrate/nitrite equilibrium and the possible influence of Cu dimers and Brønsted sites are discussed, and an explanation is offered as to how a catalyst can be effective for SCR while being a poor catalyst for NO oxidation to NO2.

Cu-SSZ-13 has been characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and compared with Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-β with similar Si/Al and Cu/Al ratios and prepared by the same ion exchange procedure. On vacuum activated samples, low temperature FTIR spectroscopy allowed us to appreciate a high concentration of reduced copper centres, i.e. isolated Cu(+) ions located in different environments, able to form Cu(+)(N2), Cu(+)(CO)n (n = 1, 2, 3), and Cu(+)(NO)n (n = 1, 2) upon interaction with N2, CO and NO probe molecules, respectively. Low temperature FTIR, DRUV-Vis and EPR analysis on O2 activated samples revealed the presence of different Cu(2+) species. New data and discussion are devoted to (i) [Cu-OH](+) species likely balanced by one framework Al atom; (ii) mono(μ-oxo)dicopper [Cu2(μ-O)](2+) dimers observed in Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-β, but not in Cu-SSZ-13. UV-Vis-NIR spectra of O2 activated samples reveal an intense and finely structured d-d quadruplet, unique to Cu-SSZ-13, which is persistent under SCR conditions. This differs from the 22,700 cm(-1) band of the mono(μ-oxo)dicopper species of the O2 activated Cu-ZSM-5, which disappears under SCR conditions. The EPR signal intensity sets Cu-β apart from the others.