A method for adding at least one reactant to an exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the following steps:
- providing an element for carrying out at least one operation selected from the group consisting of:
- a) an at least partial conversion, and
- b) an at least partial elimination,
- of at least one component of the exhaust gas stream;
- adding a reactant flow, including at least a reducing agent precursor, to the exhaust gas stream downstream of the element to cause at least part of the reactant flow to impinge on the element;
- and
- providing at least partial regions of the element with a porous coating acting as a catalyst for a hydrolysis of the reducing agent precursor to form a reducing agent for a selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen in an SCR catalytic converter disposed downstream.