Atomic and Electronic Structure of Pt/TiO2 Catalysts and Their Relationship to Catalytic Activity

Hajime Hojo; Miki Gondo; Satoru Yoshizaki; Hisahiro Einaga

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03485

Atomic and Electronic Structure of Pt/TiO₂ Catalysts and Their Relationship to Catalytic Activity

Nano Lett. 2022 Jan 12;22(1):145-150. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03485. Epub 2021 Dec 27.

Authors

Hajime Hojo¹, Miki Gondo¹, Satoru Yoshizaki¹, Hisahiro Einaga¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Energy and Material Sciences, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1, Kasugakoen, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan.

PMID: 34958224
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03485

Abstract

Understanding the nature of the interaction between a metal and support, which is known as the metal-support interaction, in supported metal catalysts is crucial to design catalysts with desired properties. Here, we have developed model Pt/TiO₂ catalysts based on the deposition of colloidal Pt nanoparticles and studied their atomic and electronic structures before and after a postdeposition treatment that induces catalytic activity using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations. Direct contact between Pt nanoparticles and TiO₂ is realized after the postdeposition treatment, which is accompanied by the formation of a Ti³⁺ state on the TiO₂ surface close to the Pt nanoparticles and a Pt^δ+ state on the Pt nanoparticles. The origin of these two states and their effect on the catalytic properties are discussed. These findings pave the way for a comprehensive understanding of metal-support interactions in supported metal catalysts.

Keywords: Metal−support interaction; electron energy loss spectroscopy; ethanol dehydrogenation; first-principles calculations; transmission electron microscopy.