Benefiting from the exceptional selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH₃-SCR) activity, excellent N₂ selectivity, and superior hydrothermal durability, the Cu²⁺-exchanged zeolite catalyst with a chabazite structure (Cu-CHA) has been considered the predominant SCR catalyst in nitrogen oxide (NOx) abatement. However, sulfur poisoning remains one of the most significant deterrents to the catalyst in real applications. This review summarizes the NH₃-SCR reaction mechanism on Cu-CHA, including the active sites and the nature of hydrothermal aging resistance. On the basis of the NH₃-SCR reaction mechanism, the review gives a comprehensive summary of sulfate species, sulfate loading, emitted gaseous composition, and the impact of exposure temperature/time on Cu-CHA. The nature of the regeneration of sulfated catalysts is also covered in this review. The review gives a valuable summary of new insights into the matching between the design of NH₃-SCR activity and sulfur resistance, highlighting the opportunities and challenges presented by Cu-CHA. Guidance for future sulfur poisoning diagnosis, effective regeneration strategies, and a design for an efficient catalyst for the aftertreatment system (ATS) are proposed to minimize the deterioration of NOx abatement in the future. Finally, we call for more attention to be paid to the effects of PO₄^3- and metal co-cations with sulfur in the ATS.

Selective catalytic reduction filter (SDPF) technology constitutes a critical methodology for controlling nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter emissions from light-duty diesel vehicles. A series of SDPFs with different sulfur poisoning times and concentrations were prepared using the worldwide harmonized light vehicles test cycle (WLTC). Bench testing revealed that sulfur poisoning diminished the catalyst’s NH₃ storage capacity, impaired the transient NOx reduction efficiency, and induced premature ammonia leakage. After multiple sulfur poisoning incidents, the NOx reduction performance stabilized. Higher SO₂ concentrations accelerated catalyst deactivation and hastened the attainment of this equilibrium state. The characterization results for the catalyst indicate that the catalyst accumulated the same sulfur content after tail gas poisoning with different sulfur concentrations and that sulfur existed in the form of SO₄²⁻. The sulfur species in low-sulfur-poisoning-concentration catalysts mainly included sulfur ammonia and sulfur copper species, while high-sulfur-poisoning-concentration catalysts contained a higher proportion of sulfur copper species. Neither species type significantly altered the zeolite coating’s crystalline structure. Sulfur ammonia species could easily lead to a significant decrease in the specific surface area of the catalyst, which could be decomposed at 500 °C to achieve NOx reduction performance regeneration. In contrast, sulfur copper species required higher decomposition temperatures (600 °C), achieving only partial regeneration.