Method for making a catalyst composition

1. A method for making a catalyst composition, comprising the steps of combining dawsonite or a dawsonite derivative with a catalytic active element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dawsonite derivative comprises amorphous alumina or mesoporous alumina.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the dawsonite derivative is formed by heat treating the dawsonite under conditions sufficient to calcine the dawsonite and convert the dawsonite to amorphous alumina.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the heat treatment is carried out at a temperature in a range of about 300 degrees Celsius to about 600 degrees Celsius.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising an aqueous treatment of the amorphous alumina, wherein the amorphous alumina is treated in an aqueous medium at a temperature above the boiling point of the aqueous medium, so as to convert the amorphous alumina to a mesoporous form.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the aqueous treatment comprises immersing the amorphous alumina in boiling water.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the aqueous treatment comprises steam treatment of the amorphous alumina.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the following steps after forming an activated dawsonite material by combining the dawsonite with the catalytic active element;

(a) heat treating the activated dawsonite material under conditions sufficient to calcinate the activated dawsonite material and convert the activated dawsonite material to an activated amorphous alumina material; and

(b) treating the activated amorphous alumina material in an aqueous medium at a temperature above the boiling point of the aqueous medium, so as to convert the amorphous alumina material to a mesporous form.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the heat treatment is carried out at a temperature in a range of about 300 degrees Celsius to about 600 degrees Celsius.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein treating the activated amorphous alumina material in the aqueous medium comprises immersing the activated amorphous alumina in boiling water.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein treating the activated amorphous alumina material in the aqueous medium comprises steam treatment of the activated amorphous alumina.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining dawsonite or the dawsonite derivative with the catalytic active element comprises impregnating or disposing the catalytic active element on at least one surface of the dawsonite or the dawsonite derivative.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining dawsonite or the dawsonite derivative with the catalytic active element comprises doping the dawsonite or the dawsonite derivative with the catalytic active element.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein doping comprises exchanging the catalytic active element with a cation of the dawsonite.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic active element comprises gallium, indium, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, iridium, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic active element comprises a transition metal selected from the group consisting of silver, platinum and gold.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic active element is present in an amount of at least about 3 weight percent, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heat treatment of the catalyst composition under conditions sufficient to calcine the catalyst composition.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing the catalyst composition on a monolithic substrate.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition has a surface area in a range of about 200 m 2 /gm to about 500 m 2 /gm.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the catalyst composition has a surface area in a range of about 300 m 2 /gm to about 450 m 2 /gm.

22. A method for making a catalyst composition for reducing nitrogen oxides, comprising the steps of:

(a) heat treating dawsonite under conditions sufficient to convert the dawsonite to an amorphous alumina;

(b) treating the amorphous alumina in an aqueous medium at a temperature above the boiling point of the aqueous medium, so as to convert the amorphous alumina to a mesoporous alumina; and

(c) combining a catalytic active element with the mesoporous alumina, to form the catalyst composition.

23. A method for making a catalyst composition for reducing nitrogen oxides, comprising the steps of:

(a) heat treating dawsonite under conditions sufficient to calcine the dawsonite and convert dawsonite to an amorphous alumina,

(b) combining a catalytic active element with the amorphous alumina to form a catalytic active element-activated amorphous alumina, and

(c) treating the catalytic active element-activated amorphous alumina in an aqueous medium at a temperature above the boiling point of the aqueous medium, so as to convert the catalytic active element-activated amorphous alumina to a catalytic active element-activated mesoporous alumina, to form the catalyst composition.

24. A method for making a catalyst composition for reducing nitrogen oxides, comprising the steps of:

(a) combining a catalytic active element with dawsonite to form a catalytic active element-activated dawsonite,

(b) heat treating the catalytic active element-activated dawsonite under conditions sufficient to calcine the dawsonite and convert the catalytic active element-activated dawsonite to a catalytic active element-activated amorphous alumina; and

(c) treating the catalytic active element-activated amorphous alumina in an aqueous medium at a temperature above the boiling point of the aqueous medium, so as to convert the catalytic active element-activated amorphous alumina to a catalytic active element-activated mesoporous alumina, to form the catalyst composition.