Can the state of platinum species be unambiguously determined by the stretching frequency of an adsorbed CO probe molecule?

Direct Operando Identification of Reactive Electron Species Driving Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution on Metal-Loaded Oxides

Performing operando spectroscopy under practical reaction conditions and extracting spectral components correlating with reaction activity are crucial in elucidating the reactive species in photocatalysis. However, the observation of weak signals corresponding to reactive photogenerated species is frequently hampered under reaction conditions owing to intense background signals originating from thermally induced species unrelated to the photoinduced reactions. Herein, by synchronizing the millisecond periodic excitations of photocatalysts with a Michelson interferometer used for FT-IR spectroscopy, we succeeded in significantly suppressing the signals derived from thermally excited electrons and observing the reactive photogenerated electrons contributing to the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. This demonstration was achieved for metal-loaded oxide photocatalysts under steam methane reforming and water splitting conditions. Although it has long been conventionally believed that loaded metal cocatalysts function as sinks for reactive photogenerated electrons and active sites for reduction reactions, we found that the free electrons in the metal cocatalysts were not directly involved in the reduction reaction. Alternatively, the electrons shallowly trapped in the in-gap states of oxides contributed to enhancing the hydrogen evolution rate upon the loading of metal cocatalysts. We verified that the electron abundance in the in-gap states was clearly correlated to the reaction activity, suggesting that metal-induced semiconductor surface states formed in the periphery of the metal cocatalyst play key roles in the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Our microscopic insights shift a paradigm on the traditionally believed role of metal cocatalysts in photocatalysis and provide a fundamental basis for rational design of the metal/oxide interfaces as promising platforms for nonthermal hydrogen evolution.

Visualizing Dynamic Single Atom Catalysis

Many industrial chemical processes, including for producing fuels, foods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and environmental controls, employ heterogeneous solid state catalysts at elevated temperatures in gas or liquid environments. Dynamic reactions at the atomic level play a critical role in catalyst stability and functionality. In situ visualization and analysis of atomic-scale processes in real time under controlled reaction environments can provide important insights into practical frameworks to improve catalytic processes and materials. This review focuses on innovative real time in situ electron microscopy (EM) methods, including recent progress in analytical in situ environmental (scanning) transmission EM (E(STEM), incorporating environmental scanning TEM (ESTEM) and environmental transmission EM (ETEM), with single atom resolution for visualizing and analysing dynamic single atom catalysis under controlled flowing gas reaction environments. ESTEM studies of single atom dynamics of reactions, and of sintering deactivation, contribute to a better-informed understanding of the yield and stability of catalyst operations. Advances in in situ technologies, including gas and liquid sample holders, nanotomography, and higher voltages, as well as challenges and opportunities in tracking reacting atoms, are highlighted. The findings show that the understanding and application of fundamental processes in catalysis can be improved, with valuable economic, environmental, and societal benefits.

Chemical Orderings in CuCo Nanoparticles: Topological Modeling Using DFT Calculations

The orderings of atoms in bimetallic 1.6-2.1 nm-large CuCo nanoparticles, important as catalytic and magnetic materials, were studied using a combination of DFT calculations with a topological approach. The structure and magnetism of Cu50Co151, Cu101Co100, Cu151Co50, and Cu303Co102 nanoparticles; their resistance to disintegrating into separate Cu and Co species; as well as the exposed surface sites, were quantified and analyzed, showing a clear preference for Cu atoms to occupy surface positions while the Co atoms tended to form a compact cluster in the interior of the nanoparticles. The surface segregation of Co atoms that are encapsulated by less-active Cu atoms, induced by the adsorption of CO molecules, was already enabled at a low coverage of adsorbed CO, providing the energy required to displace the entire compact Co species inside the Cu matrices due to a notable adsorption preference of CO for the Co sites over the Cu ones. The calculated adsorption energies and vibrational frequencies of adsorbed CO should be helpful indicators for experimentally monitoring the nature of the surface sites of CuCo nanoparticles, especially in the case of active Co surface sites emerging in the presence of CO.

Fundamental Structural and Electronic Understanding of Palladium Catalysts on Nitride and Oxide Supports

The nature of the support can fundamentally affect the function of a heterogeneous catalyst. For the novel type of isolated metal atom catalysts, sometimes referred to as single-atom catalysts, systematic correlations are still rare. Here, we report a general finding that Pd on nitride supports (non-metal and metal nitride) features a higher oxidation state compared to that on oxide supports (non-metal and metal oxide). Through thorough oxidation state investigations by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), CO-DRIFTS, and density functional theory (DFT) coupled with Bader charge analysis, it is found that Pd atoms prefer to interact with surface hydroxyl group to form a Pd(OH)x species on oxide supports, while on nitride supports, Pd atoms incorporate into the surface structure in the form of Pd-N bonds. Moreover, a correlation was built between the formal oxidation state and computational Bader charge, based on the periodic trend in electronegativity.

Migration and aggregation of Pt atoms on metal oxide-supported ceria nanodomes control reverse water gas shift reaction activity

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are particularly sensitive to external conditions, complicating the identification of catalytically active species and active sites under in situ or operando conditions. We developed a methodology for tracing the structural evolution of SACs to nanoparticles, identifying the active species and their link to the catalytic activity for the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. The new method is illustrated by studying structure-activity relationships in two materials containing Pt SACs on ceria nanodomes, supported on either ceria or titania. These materials exhibited distinctly different activities for CO production. Multimodal operando characterization attributed the enhanced activity of the titania-supported catalysts at temperatures below 320 ˚C to the formation of unique Pt sites at the ceria-titania interface capable of forming Pt nanoparticles, the active species for the RWGS reaction. Migration of Pt nanoparticles to titania support was found to be responsible for the deactivation of titania-supported catalysts at elevated temperatures. Tracking the migration of Pt atoms provides a new opportunity to investigate the activation and deactivation of Pt SACs for the RWGS reaction.

Systematic Characterization of Electronic Metal-Support Interactions in Ceria-Supported Pt Particles

Electronic metal-support interactions affect the chemical and catalytic properties of metal particles supported on reducible metal oxides, but their characterization is challenging due to the complexity of the electronic structure of these systems. These interactions often involve different states with varying numbers and positions of strongly correlated d or f electrons and the corresponding polarons. In this work, we present an approach to characterize electronic metal-support interactions by means of computationally efficient density functional calculations within the projector augmented wave method. We describe Ce3+ cations with potentials that include a Ce4f electron in the frozen core, overcoming prevalent convergence and 4f electron localization issues. We systematically explore the stability and chemical properties of different electronic states for a Pt8/CeO2(111) model system, revealing the predominant effect of electronic metal-support interactions on Pt atoms located directly at the metal-oxide interface. Adsorption energies and the reactivity of these interface Pt atoms vary significantly upon donation of electrons to the oxide support, pointing to a strategy to selectively activate interfacial sites of metal particles supported on reducible metal oxides.

Synergic Effect of Isolated Ce3+ and Ptδ+ Species in UiO-66(Ce) for Heterogeneous Catalysis

In this work, we have synthesized through an efficient electrostatic deposition a Pt single-atom catalyst (SAC) supported on a Ce-MOF. The basic solution employed in the impregnation process favors the deprotonation of the hydroxyl groups allocated on the clusters that can easily interact with the cationic Pt species. The resulting material, denoted as Pt/UiO-66(Ce), shows an increment of Ce³⁺ content, as demonstrated by UV-vis and Ce L₃-edge XANES spectroscopy. These Ce³⁺ species and their corresponding oxygen vacancies are able to accommodate very disperse Pt single sites. Moreover, Pt L₃-edge XANES and CO-FTIR spectroscopy confirm the cationic nature of the supported Pt^δ+ (2+ < δ < 4+). For comparison purpose, we have synthesized and characterized a well-known Pt single-site catalyst supported on nanocrystalline ceria, denoted as Pt/nCeO₂. Since the simultaneous presence of Ce³⁺ and Pt^δ+ on the MOF clusters were able to activate the oxygen molecules and the CO molecule, respectively, we tested Pt/UiO-66(Ce) for the CO oxidation reaction. Interestingly, this catalyst showed ∼six-fold increment in activity in comparison with the traditional Pt/nCeO₂ material. Finally, the characterization after catalysis reveals that the Pt nature is preserved and that the activity is maintained during 14 h at 100 °C without any evidence of deactivation.

Genesis of Active Pt/CeO2 Catalyst for Dry Reforming of Methane by Reduction and Aggregation of Isolated Platinum Atoms into Clusters

Atomically dispersed metal catalysts offer the advantages of efficient metal utilization and high selectivities for reactions of technological importance. Such catalysts have been suggested to be strong candidates for dry reforming of methane (DRM), offering prospects of high selectivity for synthesis gas without coke formation, which requires ensembles of metal sites and is a challenge to overcome in DRM catalysis. However, investigations of the structures of isolated metal sites on metal oxide supports under DRM conditions are lacking, and the catalytically active sites remain undetermined. Data characterizing the DRM reaction-driven structural evolution of a cerium oxide-supported catalyst, initially incorporating atomically dispersed platinum, and the corresponding changes in catalyst performance are reported. X-ray absorption and infrared spectra show that the reduction and agglomeration of isolated cationic platinum atoms to form small platinum clusters/nanoparticles are necessary for DRM activity. Density functional theory calculations of the energy barriers for methane dissociation on atomically dispersed platinum and on platinum clusters support these observations. The results emphasize the need for in-operando experiments to assess the active sites in such catalysts. The inferences about the catalytically active species are suggested to pertain to a broad class of catalytic conversions involving the rate-limiting dissociation of light alkanes.

Fabricating Robust Pt Clusters on Sn-Doped CeO2 for CO Oxidation: A Deep Insight into Support Engineering and Surface Structural Evolution

The size effect on nanoparticles, which affects the catalysis performance in a significant way, is crucial. The tuning of oxygen vacancies on metal-oxide support can help reduce the size of the particles in active clusters of Pt, thus improving catalysis performance of the supported catalyst. Herein, Ce-Sn solid solutions (CSO) with abundant oxygen vacancies have been synthesized. Activated by simple CO reduction after loading Pt species, the catalytic CO oxidation performance of Pt/CSO was significantly better than that of Pt/CeO₂ . The reasons for the elevated activity were further explored regarding ionic Pt single sites being transformed into active Pt clusters after CO reduction. Due to more exposed oxygen vacancies, much smaller Pt clusters were created on CSO (ca. 1.2 nm) than on CeO₂ (ca. 1.8 nm). Consequently, more exposed active Pt clusters significantly improved the ability to activate oxygen and directly translated to the higher catalytic oxidation performance of activated Pt/CSO catalysts in vehicle emission control applications.

Single Ru(II) Ions on Ceria as a Highly Active Catalyst for Abatement of NO

Atom trapping leads to catalysts with atomically dispersed Ru₁O₅ sites on (100) facets of ceria, as identified by spectroscopy and DFT calculations. This is a new class of ceria-based materials with Ru properties drastically different from the known M/ceria materials. They show excellent activity in catalytic NO oxidation, a critical step that requires use of large loadings of expensive noble metals in diesel aftertreatment systems. Ru₁/CeO₂ is stable during continuous cycling, ramping, and cooling as well as the presence of moisture. Furthermore, Ru₁/CeO₂ shows very high NO_x storage properties due to formation of stable Ru-NO complexes as well as a high spill-over rate of NO_x onto CeO₂. Only ∼0.05 wt % of Ru is required for excellent NO_x storage. Ru₁O₅ sites exhibit much higher stability during calcination in air/steam up to 750 °C in contrast to RuO₂ nanoparticles. We clarify the location of Ru(II) ions on the ceria surface and experimentally identify the mechanism of NO storage and oxidation using DFT calculations and in situ DRIFTS/mass spectroscopy. Moreover, we show excellent reactivity of Ru₁/CeO₂ for NO reduction by CO at low temperatures: only 0.1-0.5 wt % of Ru is sufficient to achieve high activity. Modulation-excitation in situ infrared and XPS measurements reveal the individual elementary steps of NO reduction by CO on an atomically dispersed Ru ceria catalyst, highlighting unique properties of Ru₁/CeO₂ and its propensity to form oxygen vacancies/Ce⁺³ sites that are critical for NO reduction, even at low Ru loadings. Our study highlights the applicability of novel ceria-based single-atom catalysts to NO and CO abatement.

Cold-Start NOx Mitigation by Passive Adsorption Using Pd-Exchanged Zeolites: From Material Design to Mechanism Understanding and System Integration

It remains a major challenge to abate efficiently the harmful nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in low-temperature diesel exhausts emitted during the cold-start period of engine operation. Passive NO_x adsorbers (PNA), which could temporarily capture NO_x at low temperatures (below 200 °C) and release the stored NO_x at higher temperatures (normally 250-450 °C) to downstream selective catalytic reduction unit for complete abatement, hold promise to mitigate cold-start NO_x emissions. In this review, recent advances in material design, mechanism understanding, and system integration are summarized for PNA based on palladium-exchanged zeolites. First, we discuss the choices of parent zeolite, Pd precursor, and synthetic method for the synthesis of Pd-zeolites with atomic Pd dispersions, and review the effect of hydrothermal aging on the properties and PNA performance of Pd-zeolites. Then, we show how different experimental and theoretical methodologies can be integrated to gain mechanistic insights into the nature of Pd active sites, the NO_x storage/release chemistry, as well as the interactions between Pd and typical components/poisons in engine exhausts. This review also gathers several novel designs of PNA integration into modern exhaust after-treatment systems for practical application. At the end, we discuss the major challenges, as well as important implications, for the further development and real application of Pd-zeolite-based PNA in cold-start NO_x mitigation.

Structural Evolution of Anatase-Supported Platinum Nanoclusters into a Platinum-Titanium Intermetallic Containing Platinum Single Atoms for Enhanced Catalytic CO Oxidation

Strong metal-support interactions characteristic of the encapsulation of metal particles by oxide overlayers have been widely observed on large metal nanoparticles, but scarcely occur on small nanoclusters (<2 nm) for which the metal-support interactions remain elusive. Herein, we study the structural evolution of Pt nanoclusters (1.5 nm) supported on anatase TiO₂ upon high-temperature H₂ reduction. The Pt nanoclusters start to partially evolve into a CsCl-type PtTi intermetallic compound when the reduction temperature reaches 400 °C. Upon 700 °C reduction, the PtTi nanoparticles are exclusively formed and grow epitaxially along the TiO₂ (101) crystal faces. The thermodynamics of the formation of PtTi via migration of reduced Ti atoms into Pt cluster is unraveled by theoretical calculations. The thermally stable PtTi intermetallic compound, with single-atom Pt isolated by Ti, exhibits enhanced catalytic activity and promoted catalytic durability for CO oxidation.

Metal-Support Interaction and Charge Distribution in Ceria-Supported Au Particles Exposed to CO

Understanding how reaction conditions affect metal-support interactions in catalytic materials is one of the most challenging tasks in heterogeneous catalysis research. Metal nanoparticles and their supports often undergo changes in structure and oxidation state when exposed to reactants, hindering a straightforward understanding of the structure-activity relations using only ex situ or ultrahigh vacuum techniques. Overcoming these limitations, we explored the metal-support interaction between gold nanoparticles and ceria supports in ultrahigh vacuum and after exposure to CO. A combination of in situ methods (on powder and model Au/CeO₂ samples) and theoretical calculations was applied to investigate the gold/ceria interface and its reactivity toward CO exposure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements rationalized by first-principles calculations reveal a distinctly inhomogeneous charge distribution, with Au⁺ atoms in contact with the ceria substrate and neutral Au⁰ atoms at the surface of the Au nanoparticles. Exposure to CO partially reduces the ceria substrate, leading to electron transfer to the supported Au nanoparticles. Transferred electrons can delocalize among the neutral Au atoms of the particle or contribute to forming inert Au^δ- atoms near oxygen vacancies at the ceria surface. This charge redistribution is consistent with the evolution of the vibrational frequencies of CO adsorbed on Au particles obtained using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.

Understanding and application of metal-support interactions in catalysts for CO-PROX

Preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO-PROX) plays a vital role in H₂ purification in the upstream systems of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) for its high efficiency, low cost and practicability. The key to the application of CO-PROX is the design and preparation of catalysts, and the supported metal catalysts have been the mainstay after decades of development. The metal-support interaction (MSI), which acts as a bridge between the design of supported catalysts and atomic-level theoretical research, has triggered increasing attention. There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of the MSI in heterogeneous catalysis. In this review, the impacts of the MSI including strong metal-support interactions and electronic metal-support interactions on the essential characteristics of supported single atom, nanocluster and nanoparticle catalysts, and therefore, on catalytic behaviors were discussed, respectively, primarily focusing on electron transfer, chemical bonding and the encapsulation of active sites induced by the MSI. We also presented an overview of how the MSI can be utilized to rationally design catalysts to meet target requirements such as high activity, selectivity or stability via appropriate selection and modification of support and active species. The perspectives of the future development for comprehensive understanding of the MSI were also proposed.

Distinct Role of Surface Hydroxyls in Single-Atom Pt1/CeO2 Catalyst for Room-Temperature Formaldehyde Oxidation: Acid-Base Versus Redox

The development of highly efficient catalysts for room-temperature formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation is of great interest for indoor air purification. In this work, it was found that the single-atom Pt₁/CeO₂ catalyst exhibits a remarkable activity with complete removal of HCHO even at 288 K. Combining density functional theory calculations and in situ DRIFTS experiments, it was revealed that the active O_latticeH site generated on CeO₂ in the vicinity of Pt²⁺ via steam treatment plays a key role in the oxidation of HCHO to formate and its further oxidation to CO₂. Such involvement of hydroxyls is fundamentally different from that of cofeeding water which dissociates on metal oxide and catalyzes the acid-base-related chemistry. This study provides an important implication for the design and synthesis of supported Pt catalysts with atom efficiency for a very important practical application-room-temperature HCHO oxidation.

A Robust and Efficient Propane Dehydrogenation Catalyst from Unexpectedly Segregated Pt2Mn Nanoparticles

The increasing demand for short chain olefins like propene for plastics production and the availability of shale gas make the development of highly performing propane dehydrogenation (PDH) catalysts, robust toward industrially applied harsh regeneration conditions, a highly important field of research. A combination of surface organometallic chemistry and thermolytic molecular precursor approach was used to prepare a nanometric, bimetallic Pt-Mn material (3 wt % Pt, 1.3 wt % Mn) supported on silica via consecutive grafting of a Mn and Pt precursor on surface OH groups present on the support surface, followed by a treatment under a H₂ flow at high temperature. The material exhibits a 70% fraction of the overall Mn as Mn^II single sites on the support surface; the remaining Mn is incorporated in segregated Pt₂Mn nanoparticles. The material shows great performance in PDH reaction with a low deactivation rate. In particular, it shows outstanding robustness during repeated regeneration cycles, with conversion and selectivity stabilizing at ca. 37 and 98%, respectively. Notably, a material with a lower Pt loading of only 0.05 wt % shows an outstanding catalytic performance─initial productivity of 4523 g_C3H6/g_Pt h and an extremely low k_d of 0.003 h^-1 under a partial pressure of H₂, which are among the highest reported productivities. A combined in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and metadynamics at the density functional theory level study could show that the strong interaction between the Mn^II-decorated support and the unexpectedly segregated Pt₂Mn particles is most likely responsible for the outstanding performance of the investigated materials.

Modulating the Electronic Metal-Support Interactions in Single-Atom Pt1 -CuO Catalyst for Boosting Acetone Oxidation

The development of highly active single-atom catalysts (SACs) and identifying their intrinsic active sites in oxidizing industrial hazardous hydrocarbons are challenging prospects. Tuning the electronic metal-support interactions (EMSIs) is valid for modulating the catalytic performance of SACs. We propose that the modulation of the EMSIs in a Pt₁ -CuO SAC significantly promotes the activity of the catalyst in acetone oxidation. The EMSIs promote charge redistribution through the unified Pt-O-Cu moieties, which modulates the d-band structure of atomic Pt sites, and strengthens the adsorption and activation of reactants. The positively charged Pt atoms are superior for activating acetone at low temperatures, and the stretched Cu-O bonds facilitate the activation of lattice oxygen atoms to participate in subsequent oxidation. We believe that this work will guide researchers to engineer efficient SACs for application in hydrocarbon oxidation reactions.

Decoupling the electronic and geometric effects of Pt catalysts in selective hydrogenation reaction

Decoupling the electronic and geometric effects has been a long cherished goal for heterogeneous catalysis due to their tangled relationship. Here, a novel orthogonal decomposition method is firstly proposed to settle this issue in p-chloronitrobenzene hydrogenation reaction on size- and shape-controlled Pt nanoparticles (NPs) carried on various supports. Results suggest Fermi levels of catalysts can be modulated by supports with varied work function (W_f). And the selectivity on Pt NPs of similar size and shape is linearly related with the W_f of support. Optimized Fermi levels of the catalysts with large W_f weaken the ability of Pt NPs to fill valence electrons into the antibonding orbital of C–Cl bond, finally suppressing the hydrodehalogenation side reaction. Foremost, the geometric effect is firstly spun off through orthogonal relation based on series of linear relationships over various sizes of Pt NPs reflecting the electronic effect. Moreover, separable nested double coordinate system is established to quantitatively evaluate the two effects.

Decoupling the electronic and geometric effects has been a long cherished goal for heterogeneous catalysis due to their tangled relationship. Here the authors propose a novel orthogonal decomposition method to decouple the electronic and geometric effect for supported metal catalysts.

Stability of Pt-Adsorbed CO on Catalysts for Room Temperature-Oxidation of CO

A large signal of gas-phase CO overlapping with those of adsorbates is often present when investigating catalysts by operando diffuse reflectance FT-IR spectroscopy. Physically removing CO(g) from the IR cell may lead to a fast decay of adsorbate signals. Our work shows that carbonyls adsorbed on metallic Pt sites fully vanished in less than 10 min at 30 °C upon removing CO(g) when redox supports were used. In contrast, a broad band assigned to CO adsorbed on oxidized Pt sites was stable. It was concluded that physically removing CO(g) at room temperature during IR analyses will most likely lead to changes in the distribution of CO(ads) and a misrepresentation of the Pt site speciation, misguiding the development of efficient low-temperature CO oxidation catalysts. A tentative representation of the nature of the Pt phases present depending on the feed composition is also proposed.

Cerium oxide nanostructures: properties, biomedical applications and surface coatings

Cerium oxide nanoparticles have significantly improved catalytic properties and are of increasing interest in the nanoparticle research field hence the current trends in cerium oxide nanoparticles are reviewed here. Unlike previous reviews which have focused primarily on the biosynthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles, their properties, and applications, this review will focus on the unique physical, chemical, and biological properties of cerium oxide nanoparticles, the role of oxygen vacancies or defects in the lattice structure, the ratio of oxidation states in determining their catalytic properties and applications in biosensing, drug or gene delivery, etc. have been discussed. Furthermore, the limitations of the bare form of cerium oxide nanoparticles and the advances in the field of surface coating by different ligands to overcome the issues of bare nanoparticles have been discussed. The review concludes with a discussion on the environmental aspects and toxicity of cerium oxide nanoparticles and their potential future in practical applications.

CO oxidation by Pt2/Fe3O4: Metastable dimer and support configurations facilitate lattice oxygen extraction

Heterogeneous catalysts based on subnanometer metal clusters often exhibit strongly size-dependent properties, and the addition or removal of a single atom can make all the difference. Identifying the most active species and deciphering the reaction mechanism is extremely difficult, however, because it is often not clear how the catalyst evolves in operando. Here, we use a combination of atomically resolved scanning probe microscopies, spectroscopic techniques, and density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations to study CO oxidation by a model Pt/Fe3O4(001) "single-atom" catalyst. We demonstrate that (PtCO)2 dimers, formed dynamically through the agglomeration of mobile Pt-carbonyl species, catalyze a reaction involving the oxide support to form CO2. Pt2 dimers produce one CO2 molecule before falling apart into two adatoms, releasing the second CO. Olattice extraction only becomes facile when both the Pt-dimer and the Fe3O4 support can access metastable configurations, suggesting that substantial, concerted rearrangements of both cluster and support must be considered for reactions occurring at elevated temperature.

Adsorption Sites on Pd Nanoparticles Unraveled by Machine-Learning Potential with Adaptive Sampling

Catalytic properties of noble-metal nanoparticles (NPs) are largely determined by their surface morphology. The latter is probed by surface-sensitive spectroscopic techniques in different spectra regions. A fast and precise computational approach enabling the prediction of surface-adsorbate interaction would help the reliable description and interpretation of experimental data. In this work, we applied Machine Learning (ML) algorithms for the task of adsorption-energy approximation for CO on Pd nanoclusters. Due to a high dependency of binding energy from the nature of the adsorbing site and its local coordination, we tested several structural descriptors for the ML algorithm, including mean Pd-C distances, coordination numbers (CN) and generalized coordination numbers (GCN), radial distribution functions (RDF), and angular distribution functions (ADF). To avoid overtraining and to probe the most relevant positions above the metal surface, we utilized the adaptive sampling methodology for guiding the ab initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The support vector machines (SVM) and Extra Trees algorithms provided the best approximation quality and mean absolute error in energy prediction up to 0.12 eV. Based on the developed potential, we constructed an energy-surface 3D map for the whole Pd₅₅ nanocluster and extended it to new geometries, Pd₇₉, and Pd₈₅, not implemented in the training sample. The methodology can be easily extended to adsorption energies onto mono- and bimetallic NPs at an affordable computational cost and accuracy.

Adsorption and Oxidation of CO on Ceria Nanoparticles Exposing Single-Atom Pd and Ag: A DFT Modelling

Various COx species formed upon the adsorption and oxidation of CO on palladium and silver single atoms supported on a model ceria nanoparticle (NP) have been studied using density functional calculations. For both metals M, the ceria-supported MCOx moieties are found to be stabilised in the order MCO < MCO2 < MCO3, similar to the trend for COx species adsorbed on M-free ceria NP. Nevertheless, the characteristics of the palladium and silver intermediates are different. Very weak CO adsorption and the small exothermicity of the CO to CO2 transformation are found for O4Pd site of the Pd/Ce21O42 model featuring a square-planar coordination of the Pd2+ cation. The removal of one O atom and formation of the O3Pd site resulted in a notable strengthening of CO adsorption and increased the exothermicity of the CO to CO2 reaction. For the analogous ceria models with atomic Ag instead of atomic Pd, these two energies became twice as small in magnitude and basically independent of the presence of an O vacancy near the Ag atom. CO2-species are strongly bound in palladium carboxylate complexes, whereas the CO2 molecule easily desorbs from oxide-supported AgCO2 moieties. Opposite to metal-free ceria particle, the formation of neither PdCO3 nor AgCO3 carbonate intermediates before CO2 desorption is predicted. Overall, CO oxidation is concluded to be more favourable at Ag centres atomically dispersed on ceria nanostructures than at the corresponding Pd centres. Calculated vibrational fingerprints of surface COx moieties allow us to distinguish between CO adsorption on bare ceria NP (blue frequency shifts) and ceria-supported metal atoms (red frequency shifts). However, discrimination between the CO2 and CO32- species anchored to M-containing and bare ceria particles based solely on vibrational spectroscopy seems problematic. This computational modelling study provides guidance for the knowledge-driven design of more efficient ceria-based single-atom catalysts for the environmentally important CO oxidation reaction.

Aliovalent Doping of CeO2 Improves the Stability of Atomically Dispersed Pt

Atomically dispersed supported catalysts hold considerable promise as catalytic materials. The ability to employ and stabilize them against aggregation in complex process environments remains a key challenge to the elusive goal of 100% atom utilization in catalysis. Herein, using a Gd-doped ceria support for atomically dispersed surface Pt atoms, we establish how the combined effects of aliovalent doping and oxygen vacancy generation provide dynamic mechanisms that serve to enhance the stability of supported single-atom configurations. Using correlated, in situ X-ray absorption, photoelectron, and vibrational spectroscopy methods for the analysis of samples on the two types of support (with and without Gd doping), we establish that the Pt atoms are located proximal to Gd dopants, forming a speciation that serves to enhance the thermal stability of Pt atoms against aggregation.

Role of Fe Species of Ni-Based Catalysts for Efficient Low-Temperature Ethanol Steam Reforming

The suppression of methane and coke formation over Ni-based catalysts for low temperature ethanol steam reforming remains challenging. This paper describes the structural evolution of Fe-modified Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts and the influence of iron species on methane and coke suppression for low temperature ethanol steam reforming. Ni-Fe alloy catalysts are gradually oxidized by water to generate Ni-rich alloy and γ-Fe₂O₃ species at steam-to-carbon ratio of 4. The electron transfer from iron to nickel within Ni-Fe alloy weakens the CO adsorption and effectively alleviates the CO/CO₂ methanation. The oxidation capacity of γ-Fe₂O₃ species promotes the transformation of ethoxy to acetate groups to avoid methane formation and the elimination of carbon deposits for anticoking. Ni10Fe10/MgAl₂O₄ shows a superior performance with a highest H₂ yield of 4.6 mol/mol ethanol at 400 °C for 15 h. This research could potentially provide instructions for the design of Ni-based catalysts for low-temperature ethanol steam reforming.

Tailoring the Local Environment of Platinum in Single-Atom Pt1 /CeO2 Catalysts for Robust Low-Temperature CO Oxidation

A single-atom Pt₁ /CeO₂ catalyst formed by atom trapping (AT, 800 °C in air) shows excellent thermal stability but is inactive for CO oxidation at low temperatures owing to over-stabilization of Pt²⁺ in a highly symmetric square-planar Pt₁ O₄ coordination environment. Reductive activation to form Pt nanoparticles (NPs) results in enhanced activity; however, the NPs are easily oxidized, leading to drastic activity loss. Herein we show that tailoring the local environment of isolated Pt²⁺ by thermal-shock (TS) synthesis leads to a highly active and thermally stable Pt₁ /CeO₂ catalyst. Ultrafast shockwaves (>1200 °C) in an inert atmosphere induced surface reconstruction of CeO₂ to generate Pt single atoms in an asymmetric Pt₁ O₄ configuration. Owing to this unique coordination, Pt₁ ^δ+ in a partially reduced state dynamically evolves during CO oxidation, resulting in exceptional low-temperature performance. CO oxidation reactivity on the Pt₁ /CeO₂ _TS catalyst was retained under oxidizing conditions.

Metal Organic Frameworks Derived Sustainable Polyvinyl Alcohol/Starch Nanocomposite Films as Robust Materials for Packaging Applications

Bio-nanocomposites-based packaging materials have gained significance due to their prospective application in rising areas of packaged food. This research aims to fabricate biodegradable packaging films based upon polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and starch integrated with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or organic additives. MOFs offer unique features in terms of surface area, mechanical strength, and chemical stability, which make them favourable for supporting materials used in fabricating polymer-based packaging materials. zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are one of the potential candidates for this application due to their highly conductive network with a large surface area and high porosity. Present research illustrates a model system based on ZIF-67 (C₈H₁₀N₄Co) bearing 2–10 wt.% loading in a matrix of PVA/starch blend with or without pyrolysis to probe the function of intermolecular interaction in molecular packing, tensile properties, and glass transition process. ZIF-67 nanoparticles were doped in a PVA/starch mixture, and films were fabricated using the solution casting method. It was discovered through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) that addition of ZIF-67 and pyrolyzed ZIF-67 changed and enhanced the thermal stability of the membrane. Moreover, 2–10 wt.% loading of ZIF-67 effected the thermal stability, owing to an interlayer aggregation of ZIF-67. The membranes containing pyrolyzed ZIF-67 showed mechanical strength in the order of 25 MPa in a moderate loading of pyrolyzed ZIF-67 (i.e., at 4 wt.%). The crystallinity enhanced by an increment in ZIF-67 loading. On the other hand, pyrolyzed ZIF-67 carbon became amorphous because of the inert environment and elevated temperature. The surface area also increased after the pyrolysis, which helped to increase the strength of the composite films.

Synergy between Metallic and Oxidized Pt Sites Unravelled during Room Temperature CO Oxidation on Pt/Ceria

Pt-based materials are widely used as heterogeneous catalysts, in particular for pollutant removal applications. The state of Pt has often been proposed to differ depending on experimental conditions, for example, metallic Pt poisoned with CO being present at lower temperature before light-off, while an oxidized Pt surface prevails above light-off temperature. In stark contrast to all previous reports, we show herein that both metallic and oxidized Pt are present in similar proportions under reaction conditions at the surface of ca. 1 nm nanoparticles showing high activity at 30 °C. The simultaneous presence of metallic and oxidized Pt enables a synergy between these phases. The main role of the metallic Pt phase is to provide strong adsorption sites for CO, while that of oxidized Pt supposedly supplies reactive oxygen. Our results emphasize the complex dual oxidic-metallic nature of supported Pt catalysts and platinum's evolving nature under reaction conditions.

Dynamic structure of active sites in ceria-supported Pt catalysts for the water gas shift reaction

Oxide-supported noble metal catalysts have been extensively studied for decades for the water gas shift (WGS) reaction, a catalytic transformation central to a host of large volume processes that variously utilize or produce hydrogen. There remains considerable uncertainty as to how the specific features of the active metal-support interfacial bonding—perhaps most importantly the temporal dynamic changes occurring therein—serve to enable high activity and selectivity. Here we report the dynamic characteristics of a Pt/CeO₂ system at the atomic level for the WGS reaction and specifically reveal the synergistic effects of metal-support bonding at the perimeter region. We find that the perimeter Pt⁰ − O vacancy−Ce³⁺ sites are formed in the active structure, transformed at working temperatures and their appearance regulates the adsorbate behaviors. We find that the dynamic nature of this site is a key mechanistic step for the WGS reaction.

Revealing the structure and dynamics of active sites is essential to understand catalytic mechanisms. Here the authors demonstrate the dynamic nature of perimeter Pt⁰−O vacancy−Ce³⁺ sites in Pt/CeO₂ and the key effects of their dynamics on the mechanism of the water gas shift reaction.

Phase junction-confined single-atom TiO2–Pt1–CeO2 for multiplying catalytic oxidation efficiency

The phase junction confinement within the TiO₂–Pt₁–CeO₂ ensemble leads to 5 times higher CO oxidation efficiency under 300 K.

Transformation of atomically dispersed platinum in SAPO-37 into platinum clusters: catalyst for ethylene hydrogenation

Atomically dispersed supported platinum catalysts were synthesized by the reaction of Pt(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonato) with the silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve SAPO-37, with infrared spectra showing that the reaction involved SAPO OH groups.

Atomically Dispersed Pt-group Catalysts: Reactivity, Uniformity, Structural Evolution, and Paths to Increased Functionality

The development of experimental and computational tools that give accurate and visual active site descriptions has renewed research interest in atomically dispersed metal catalysts. In this perspective, we describe our approach to synthesizing and understanding atomically dispersed Pt-group metals on oxide supports. Using site-specific characterization, we show that these metal species have distinct reactivity from metal clusters. We argue that producing materials where all metal sites have identical local coordination is key to both accurately assessing catalytic properties and achieving single-site behavior. Methods for assessing site uniformity are considered. We show that producing uniform metal species allows us to describe their structure at the atomic scale and understand how this structure evolves under different conditions. Finally, we suggest pathways to increased functionality for atomically dispersed catalysts, through control of their local coordination and steric environment and through cooperativity with different sites.

CO oxidation activity of non-reducible oxide-supported mass-selected few-atom Pt single-clusters

Platinum nanocatalysts play critical roles in CO oxidation, an important catalytic conversion process. As the catalyst size decreases, the influence of the support material on catalysis increases which can alter the chemical states of Pt atoms in contact with the support. Herein, we demonstrate that under-coordinated Pt atoms at the edges of the first cluster layer are rendered cationic by direct contact with the Al2O3 support, which affects the overall CO oxidation activity. The ratio of neutral to cationic Pt atoms in the Pt nanocluster is strongly correlated with the CO oxidation activity, but no correlation exists with the total surface area of surface-exposed Pt atoms. The low oxygen affinity of cationic Pt atoms explains this counterintuitive result. Using this relationship and our modified bond-additivity method, which only requires the catalyst-support bond energy as input, we successfully predict the CO oxidation activities of various sized Pt clusters on TiO2.

In situ observations of the structural dynamics of platinum-cobalt-hydroxide nanocatalysts under CO oxidation

The structures, compositions and chemical states of metal catalysts are prone to dynamic changes in response to reaction conditions. In this work, a combination of in situ X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy has been used to monitor the temperature-dependent structural dynamics in bimetallic Pt-Co(OH)₂ nanocatalysts during CO oxidation. Alloying with electron-donating Co promotes the catalytic activity of metallic Pt for CO oxidation at low temperature. At elevated temperatures under an oxidation atmosphere, O₂ drives the segregation of the Pt-Co alloy into cobalt oxide and platinum metal, with the extent of alloying sharply decreasing from ∼30% at 300 K to 0 at 473 K. Reduction at high temperature could recover the formation of the Pt-Co alloy with the same alloying extent. The observed structural dynamics could be well correlated with the kinetic behavior of the catalysts. This work highlights the importance of tracking the dynamic structural changes of working catalysts for a correct understanding of their catalytic behavior.

Reductant composition influences the coordination of atomically dispersed Rh on anatase TiO2

Distinct local environments for atomically dispersed Rh species on anatase TiO₂ result from reduction treatments under CO and H₂.