We review the structural chemistry and reactivity of copper-exchanged molecular sieves with chabazite (CHA) topology, as an industrially applied catalyst in ammonia mediated reduction of harmful nitrogen oxides (NH₃-SCR) and as a general model system for red-ox active materials (also the recent results in the direct conversion of methane to methanol are considered).

The small pore Cu-CHA zeolite is attracting increasing attention as a versatile platform to design novel single-site catalysts for deNO_x applications and for the direct conversion of methane to methanol. Understanding at the atomic scale how the catalyst composition influences the Cu-species formed during thermal activation is a key step to unveil the relevant composition–activity relationships. Herein, we explore by in situ XAS the impact of Cu-CHA catalyst composition on temperature-dependent Cu-speciation and reducibility. Advanced multivariate analysis of in situ XANES in combination with DFT-assisted simulation of XANES spectra and multi-component EXAFS fits as well as in situ FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed N₂ allow us to obtain unprecedented quantitative structural information on the complex dynamics during the speciation of Cu-sites inside the framework of the CHA zeolite.

Methanol (MeOH) and dimethyl ether (DME) have been compared as feedstock for the methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) reaction over H-ZSM-5 (MFI), H-SSZ-24 (AFI) and H-SAPO-5 (AFI) catalysts at 350 and 450 °C. Several clear observations were made. First, the MeOH–DME equilibrium is not always established in the MTH reaction, because the rate of MeOH dehydration to DME is similar to the rates of the methylation reactions over strong Brønsted acid sites. In the presence of weak acid sites (i.e. the AlPO framework of SAPO-5), which are nearly inactive to hydrocarbons formation, the MeOH–DME equilibrium can be reached. Second, the MTH activity is ostensibly higher for DME compared to MeOH. Third, the carbon conversion capacity of the catalysts is generally higher (up to 16 times higher under the conditions used in this work) with a DME feed compared to a MeOH feed. Incorporation of AlPO-5 as dehydration catalyst before or mixed with a H-SSZ-24 catalyst for MTH, leads to lower MeOH concentrations in the reaction mixture, and a significant increase of the conversion capacity. Finally, a MeOH feed results in a higher selectivity for aromatic products and ethylene, pointing to a larger contribution of the arene cycle, compared to a DME feed. We hypothesize, that MeOH causes formation of formaldehyde, while DME does not. Formaldehyde is a known coke precursor, which provides an explanation for the faster deactivation of zeolites in a MeOH feed.