Interfacial engineering of ZrO₂-coated mesoporous silica for highly dispersed MnO₂ nanoparticles in NH₃-SCR catalysis

The NH₃-SCR reaction remains a key strategy for NO_x removal, yet its efficiency is often limited by the unstable dispersion of active metal species and insufficient control over surface acid sites. Mesoporous materials offer a promising platform to overcome these challenges due to their large surface areas, tunable pore environments, and strong spatial confinement effects. In this work, we employ a ZrO₂ surface-modification approach to tailor the pore-wall chemistry of mesoporous silica and construct a robust support for MnO₂ nanoparticles. The ZrO₂ layer enhances interfacial interactions, while the mesoporous confinement preserves the nano-size and uniform dispersion of MnO₂. XRD, DRIFTS, DFT calculations, and kinetic analyses demonstrate that ZrO₂-MnO₂ coupling promotes reactant activation, oxygen migration, and stronger surface acidity, thereby markedly improving NH₃-SCR activity. This study underscores the potential of engineered mesoporous structures in addressing fundamental limitations of NH₃-SCR catalysis.