Controlling the Oxidation State of Pt Single Atoms for Maximizing Catalytic Activity

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as promising materials in heterogeneous catalysis. Previous studies reported controversial results about the relative level in activity for SACs and nanoparticles (NPs). These works have focused on the effect of metal atom arrangement, without considering the oxidation state of the SACs. Here, we immobilized Pt single atoms on defective ceria and controlled the oxidation state of Pt SACs, from highly oxidized (Pt⁰: 16.6 at %) to highly metallic states (Pt⁰: 83.8 at %). The Pt SACs with controlled oxidation states were then employed for oxidation of CO, CH₄, or NO, and their activities compared with those of Pt NPs. The highly oxidized Pt SACs presented poorer activities than Pt NPs, whereas metallic Pt SACs showed higher activities. The Pt SAC reduced at 300 °C showed the highest activity for all the oxidations. The Pt SACs with controlled oxidation states revealed a crucial missing link between activity and SACs.     

Influence of Pt and Pd on the catalytic activity of tungsten and molybdenum oxides in the deep oxidation of methane

It has been shown that the phases H_xMO₃ and MO_3−x (M = Mo, W), obtained by reduction of the oxides WO₃ and MoO₃ with hydrogen with supported Pt(Pd) (0.5 mass %), have higher catalytic activity in the deep oxidation of methane than the catalysts Pt/Al₂O₃ and Pd/Al₂O₃ with the same amount of supported metal. At temperatures above 700 K the activity of these catalysts decreases in consequence of the thermal decomposition of the phases H_xMO₃ and MO_3−x and they become similar in activity with Pt(Pd)/Al₂O₃. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 126–129, March–April, 2008.     

铂-氢钨青铜电极的制备及对氢氧化的电催化

采用电化学还原法在表面改性的碳布上,通过改变催化剂沉积顺序及氢钨青铜沉积时间制备铂-氢钨青铜复合催化剂,所得电极作为质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)阳极。利用X射线衍射(XRD)、热重分析(TG)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、循环伏安(CV)及单电池极化性能测试研究了催化剂的组成、沉积量、分散性及其对氢氧化的电催化活性。实验结果表明,氢钨青铜沉积时间及催化剂沉积顺序对电极催化性能有显著影响,当氢钨青铜沉积时间为10 min,先沉积氢钨青铜、后沉积铂所得Pt/HxWO3电极对氢氧化具有最佳的催化活性。适量的氢钨青铜才能与铂形成较好的协同催化效应。     

Effect of Pt,Pd, and Cs<Superscript>+</Superscript> Additives on the Surface State and Catalytic Activity of WO<Subscript>3</Subscript> in Oxidation of Hydrogen

We have shown that additions of Pt(Pd) and Cs⁺ to WO₃ significantly increase its specific surface area and catalytic activity in H₂ oxidation. After reduction, the promoted specimens contain the phases WO₃, WO_2.9, H_xWO₃; and in the case of Cs⁺ additions, Cs_xWO₃. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the Pt and Pd have an oxidation state close to 0, while tungsten has a +5 oxidation state. The W:O ratio indicates the content of oxygen vacancies in the surface layer. The data are explained taking into account hydrogen spillover from Pt(Pd) to the support.__________Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Eksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 126–129, March– April, 2005.     

单原子催化剂M1/FeOx(M=Pt,Fe)的理论研究:CO氧化反应

负载型纳米贵金属催化剂是用于多相催化反应的重要的催化剂之一,也是各国催化科学与技术研发的重点,其工业应用也越来越广泛.理论和实验的研究结果均表明,当载体表面的金属粒子尺寸减小至亚纳米级乃至更小的低配位、不饱和的原子团簇时,它们常常成为诱发催化反应的活性中心,呈现更高的催化活性和选择性.将负载的金属尺寸由纳米量级减小至分散的金属团簇甚至单原子而使每个原子成为反应的活性位点已成为研究的重点.最近,由张涛等首次合成的单原子催化剂(SAC)Pt1/FeOx引起了国内外催化及表面科学工作者的极大关注.单原子催化剂作为连接均相催化剂和多相催化剂的桥梁,不仅具有非均相催化剂的稳定、易于与反应体系分离、易表征等优点,而且具有均相催化剂活性中心结构均一、活性中心原子利用率百分之百等优点.一方面,单原子催化剂给多相催化领域注入了新的活力,另一方面也更有利于运用量子与计算化学的研究方法建立与实验相匹配的理论模型并从原子水平上进一步理解多相催化反应的微观作用机理.实验和理论的研究结果表明,其它单原子催化剂如Ir1/FeOx,Au1/FeOx和Ni1/FeOx催化CO氧化反应表现出不同的活性.然而,底物FeOx中的Fe同样是第VIII族中的3d过渡金属,却在低温下对CO氧化反应没有催化活性.我们围绕这一问题,重点研究了底物FeOx在负载单原子Pt1前后催化CO氧化的反应机理和活性,解释了单原子催化剂Pt1/FeOx相比于底物FeOx为何具有如此高的催化活性的原因.我们采用Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package(VASP)从头算模拟软件和密度泛函理论(DFT)的广义梯度近似(GGA)进行了理论计算.其中,选择PBE泛函描述体系的交换关联相互作用,用投影缀加波(PAW)赝势基组方法描述体系中的电子和离子实之间的相互作用,对Fe原子采用了DFT+U方法进行d电子强相关校正,并使用Dimer计算方法搜寻反应过渡态.研究结果表明,底物FeOx中氧空位的再生伴随第二个CO2分子从催化剂表面脱附的过程需要较高的活化势垒(1.09 eV),这一过程是整个CO氧化反应的决速步.与此相比较,Pt1/FeOx催化剂中,由于Pt原子代替了表面Fe原子,导致电子结构及性质的显著变化,有利于CO的活化、氧化和CO2的脱附.我们从电子能量态密度(DOS)和Bader电荷分析及模型分子团簇的轨道相互作用的角度进一步分析了两种催化剂存在差异的本质;揭示了单原子催化剂Pt1/FeOx中Pt1和底物FeOx之间的相互作用的机理及催化剂表面Pt单原子在催化反应过程中的关键作用.     

A Single‐Atom Iridium Heterogeneous Catalyst in Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Combining the advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are bringing new opportunities to revolutionize ORR catalysis in terms of cost, activity and durability. However, the lack of high‐performance SACs as well as the fundamental understanding of their unique catalytic mechanisms call for serious advances in this field. Herein, for the first time, we develop an Ir‐N‐C single‐atom catalyst (Ir‐SAC) which mimics homogeneous iridium porphyrins for high‐efficiency ORR catalysis. In accordance with theoretical predictions, the as‐developed Ir‐SAC exhibits orders of magnitude higher ORR activity than iridium nanoparticles with a record‐high turnover frequency (TOF) of 24.3 e^? site^?1 s^?1 at 0.85 V vs. RHE) and an impressive mass activity of 12.2 A mg^?1_Ir, which far outperforms the previously reported SACs and commercial Pt/C. Atomic structural characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that the high activity of Ir‐SAC is attributed to the moderate adsorption energy of reaction intermediates on the mononuclear iridium ion coordinated with four nitrogen atom sites.     

Photocatalytic Free Radical-Controlled Synthesis of High-Performance Single-Atom Catalysts

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as crucial players in catalysis research, prompting extensive investigation and application. The precise control of metal atom nucleation and growth has garnered significant attention. In this study, we present a straightforward approach for preparing SACs utilizing a photocatalytic radical control strategy. Notably, we demonstrate for the first time that radicals generated during the photochemical process effectively hinder the aggregation of individual atoms. By leveraging the cooperative anchoring of nitrogen atoms and crystal lattice oxygen on the support, we successfully stabilize the single atom. Our Pd₁/TiO₂ catalysts exhibit remarkable catalytic activity and stability in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, which was 43 times higher than Pd/C. Furthermore, we successfully depose Pd atoms onto various substrates, including TiO₂, CeO₂, and WO₃. The photocatalytic radical control strategy can be extended to other single-atom catalysts, such as Ir, Pt, Rh, and Ru, underscoring its broad applicability.     

Designed Single Atom Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Overall Water Splitting: 3d Transition Metal Atoms Doped Borophene Nanosheets

Single atom catalysts (SAC) for water splitting hold the promise of producing H₂ in a highly efficient and economical way. As the performance of SACs depends on the interaction between the adsorbate atom and supporting substrate, developing more efficient SACs with suitable substrates is of significance. In this work, inspired by the successful fabrications of borophene in experiments, we systematically study the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities of a series of 3d transition metal-based SACs supported by various borophene monolayers (BMs=α_sheet, α₁_sheet, and β₁_sheet borophene), TM/BMs, using density functional theory calculations and kinetic simulations. All of the TM/BMs systems exhibit superior HER performance compared to Pt with close to zero thermoneutral Gibbs free energy (ΔG_H*) of H adsorption. Furthermore, three Ni-deposited systems, namely, Ni/α_BM, Ni/α₁_BM and Ni/β₁_BM, were identified to be superior OER catalysts with remarkably reduced overpotentials. Based on these results, Ni/BMs can be expected to serve as stunning bifunctional electrocatalysts for water splitting. This work provides a guideline for developing efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts.     

Effect of Pt and Pd additives on the state of the surface layer and catalytic activity of niobium oxides in the oxidation of hydrogen

Catalysts prepared by the hydrogen reduction of Nb₂O₅ in the presence of Pt or Pd have specific surface much greater than for the starting oxide and their catalytic activity in the oxidation of hydrogen is much greater than the activity of Pt/Al₂O₃ or Pd/Al₂O₃. X-ray phase analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to establish the existence of Nb₂O_5–x nonstoichiometric oxides in the catalyst, which enhances the catalytic activity of the surface. The kinetic behavior of the oxidation of hydrogen on these catalysts is explained in the framework of the Eley–Riedel mechanism.     

Engineering the Coordination Environment of Single‐Atom Platinum Anchored on Graphdiyne for Optimizing Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Two Pt single‐atom catalysts (SACs) of Pt‐GDY1 and Pt‐GDY2 were prepared on graphdiyne (GDY)supports. The isolated Pt atoms are dispersed on GDY through the coordination interactions between Pt atoms and alkynyl C atoms in GDY, with the formation of five‐coordinated C₁‐Pt‐Cl₄ species in Pt‐GDY1 and four‐coordinated C₂‐Pt‐Cl₂ species in Pt‐GDY2. Pt‐GDY2 shows exceptionally high catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with a mass activity up to 3.3 and 26.9 times more active than Pt‐GDY1 and the state‐of‐the‐art commercial Pt/C catalysts, respectively. Pt‐GDY2 possesses higher total unoccupied density of states of Pt 5d orbital and close to zero value of Gibbs free energy of the hydrogen adsorption (|Δ |) at the Pt active sites, which are responsible for its excellent catalytic performance. This work can help better understand the structure–catalytic activity relationship in Pt SACs.     

Maximizing the Number of Interfacial Sites in Single‐Atom Catalysts for the Highly Selective,Solvent‐Free Oxidation of Primary Alcohols

The solvent‐free selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes with molecular oxygen is highly attractive yet challenging. Interfacial sites between a metal and an oxide support are crucial in determining the activity and selectivity of such heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we demonstrate that the use of supported single‐atom catalysts (SACs) leads to high activity and selectivity in this reaction. The significantly increased number of interfacial sites, resulting from the presence of individually dispersed metal atoms on the support, renders SACs one or two orders of magnitude more active than the corresponding nanoparticle (NP) catalysts. Lattice oxygen atoms activated at interfacial sites were found to be more selective than O₂ activated on metal NPs in oxidizing the alcohol substrate. This work demonstrates for the first time that the number of interfacial sites is maximized in SACs, providing a new avenue for improving catalytic performance by developing appropriate SACs for alcohol oxidation and other reactions occurring at metal–support interfacial sites.     

Maximizing the Number of Interfacial Sites in Single‐Atom Catalysts for the Highly Selective,Solvent‐Free Oxidation of Primary Alcohols

The solvent‐free selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes with molecular oxygen is highly attractive yet challenging. Interfacial sites between a metal and an oxide support are crucial in determining the activity and selectivity of such heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we demonstrate that the use of supported single‐atom catalysts (SACs) leads to high activity and selectivity in this reaction. The significantly increased number of interfacial sites, resulting from the presence of individually dispersed metal atoms on the support, renders SACs one or two orders of magnitude more active than the corresponding nanoparticle (NP) catalysts. Lattice oxygen atoms activated at interfacial sites were found to be more selective than O₂ activated on metal NPs in oxidizing the alcohol substrate. This work demonstrates for the first time that the number of interfacial sites is maximized in SACs, providing a new avenue for improving catalytic performance by developing appropriate SACs for alcohol oxidation and other reactions occurring at metal–support interfacial sites.     

Nb-TiO2 supported Pt cathode catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

The Nb-doped TiO₂ nanostructure (Nb-TiO₂) was prepared as a support of metal catalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Using the Nb-TiO₂ nanostructure support, we prepared the Nb-TiO₂ supported catalyst. The Nb-TiO₂ supported Pt catalyst (Pt/Nb-TiO₂) showed the well dispersion of Pt catalysts (∼3 nm) on the Nb-TiO₂ nanostructure supports (∼10 nm). The Pt/Nb-TiO₂ showed an excellent catalytic activity for oxygen reduction compared with carbon supported Pt cathode catalyst. The enhanced catalytic activity of Pt/Nb-TiO₂ in electrochemical half cell measurement may be mainly due to well dispersion of Pt nanoparticles on Nb-TiO₂ nanosized supports. In addition, from XANES spectra of Pt L edge obtained with the supported catalysts, the improved catalytic activity of Pt/Nb-TiO₂ for oxygen reduction may be caused by an interaction between oxide support and metal catalyst.     

Polymeric Carbon Nitride/Mesoporous Silica Composites as Catalyst Support for Au and Pt Nanoparticles

Small and homogeneously dispersed Au and Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared on polymeric carbon nitride (CN_x)/mesoporous silica (SBA‐15) composites, which were synthesized by thermal polycondensation of dicyandiamide‐impregnated preformed SBA‐15. By changing the condensation temperature, the degree of condensation and the loading of CN_x can be controlled to give adjustable particle sizes of the Pt and Au NPs subsequently formed on the composites. In contrast to the pure SBA‐15 support, coating of SBA‐15 with polymeric CN_x resulted in much smaller and better‐dispersed metal NPs. Furthermore, under catalytic conditions the CN_x coating helps to stabilize the metal NPs. However, metal NPs on CN_x/SBA‐15 can show very different catalytic behaviors in, for example, the CO oxidation reaction. Whereas the Pt NPs already show full CO conversion at 160 °C, the catalytic activity of Au NPs seems to be inhibited by the CN_x support.     

Controllable Fabrication of Tungsten Oxide Nanoparticles Confined in Graphene‐Analogous Boron Nitride as an Efficient Desulfurization Catalyst

Tungsten oxide nanoparticles (WO_xNPs) are gaining increasing attention, but low stabiliity and poor dispersion of WO_xNPs hinder their catalytic applications. Herein, WO_xNPs were confined in graphene‐analogous boron nitride (g‐BN) by a one‐step, in situ method at high temperature, which can enhance the interactions between WO_xNPs and the support and control the sizes of WO_xNPs in a range of about 4–5 nm. The as‐prepared catalysts were applied in catalytic oxidation of aromatic sulfur compounds in which they showed high catalytic activity. A balance between the W loading and the size distribution of the WO_xNPs could govern the catalytic activity. Furthermore, a synergistic effect between g‐BN and WO_xNPs also contributed to high catalytic activity. The reaction mechanism is discussed in detail and the catalytic scope was enlarged.     

Continuous Modulation of Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Activities of Single-Atom Catalysts through p-n Junction Rectification

Fine-tuning single-atom catalysts (SACs) to surpass their activity limit remains challenging at their atomic scale. Herein, we exploit p-type semiconducting character of SACs having a metal center coordinated to nitrogen donors (MeN_x) and rectify their local charge density by an n-type semiconductor support. With iron phthalocyanine (FePc) as a model SAC, introducing an n-type gallium monosulfide that features a low work function generates a space-charged region across the junction interface, and causes distortion of the FeN₄ moiety and spin-state transition in the Fe^II center. This catalyst shows an over two-fold higher specific oxygen-reduction activity than that of pristine FePc. We further employ three other n-type metal chalcogenides of varying work function as supports, and discover a linear correlation between the activities of the supported FeN₄ and the rectification degrees, which clearly indicates that SACs can be continuously tuned by this rectification strategy.     

FexC–C hybrid material as a support for Pt anode catalyst in direct formic acid fuel cell

Fe_xC–C hybrid material as a support for Pt anode catalyst in direct formic acid fuel cell was investigated for the first time. The resultant Pt/Fe_xC–C catalysts were prepared by using a simple reduction reaction to load Pt on Fe_xC–C hybrid material, which was synthesized through the carbonization of sucrose and Fe(NO₃)₃. It was found that the Pt/Fe_xC–C catalysts exhibited excellent catalytic activity for formic acid electrooxidation. The great improvement in the catalytic performance is attributed to the fact that Fe_xC–C hybrid material ameliorated the tolerance to CO adsorption of Pt and facilitated the uniform dispersion of Pt.     

3-D composite electrodes for high performance PEM fuel cells composed of Pt supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes grown on carbon paper

The 3-D composite electrodes consisting of Pt nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CN_x) grown directly on carbon paper were successfully prepared. The effect of the nitrogen atom incorporation in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the Pt nanoparticle dispersion and catalytic activities for the oxygen reduction reaction has been investigated. Compared to regular CNTs, highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles with smaller size (2–3 nm) and higher electrochemical Pt surface area as well as higher fuel cell performance were obtained for CN_x.     

Ultrathin,Porous and Oxygen Vacancies‐Enriched Ag/WO3−x Heterostructures for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Exploring advanced electrocatalysts for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution is highly desired but remains a challenge due to the lack of an efficient preparation method and reasonable structural design. Herein, we deliberately designed novel Ag/WO_3?x heterostructures through a supercritical CO₂‐assisted exfoliation‐oxidation route and the subsequent loading of Ag nanoparticles. The ultrathin and oxygen vacancies‐enriched WO_3?x nanosheets are ideal substrates for loading Ag nanoparticles, which can largely increase the active site density and improve electron transport. Besides, the resultant WO_3?x nanosheets with porous structure can form during the electrochemical cycling process induced by an electric field. As a result, the exquisite Ag/WO_3?x heterostructures show an enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with a low onset overpotential of ≈30 mV, a small Tafel slope of ≈40 mV dec^?1 at 10 mA cm^?2, and as well as long‐term durability. This work sheds light on material design and preparation, and even opens up an avenue for the development of high‐efficiency electrocatalysts.