Synergetic interaction between neighboring platinum and ruthenium monomers boosts CO oxidation

Peng Zhou; Xingang Hou; Yuguang Chao; Wenxiu Yang; Weiyu Zhang; Zijie Mu; Jianping Lai; Fan Lv; Kuan Yang; Yuxi Liu; Jiong Li; Jingyuan Ma; Jun Luo; Shaojun Guo

doi:10.1039/c9sc00658c

Synergetic interaction between neighboring platinum and ruthenium monomers boosts CO oxidation

Chem Sci. 2019 Apr 25;10(23):5898-5905. doi: 10.1039/c9sc00658c. eCollection 2019 Jun 21.

Authors

Peng Zhou¹, Xingang Hou², Yuguang Chao¹, Wenxiu Yang¹, Weiyu Zhang¹, Zijie Mu¹, Jianping Lai^{1

3}, Fan Lv¹, Kuan Yang⁴, Yuxi Liu⁴, Jiong Li⁵, Jingyuan Ma⁵, Jun Luo², Shaojun Guo^{1

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China . Email: guosj@pku.edu.cn.
² Center for Electron Microscopy , Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Porous Materials , Institute for New Energy Materials & Low-Carbon Technologies , School of Materials , Tianjin University of Technology , Tianjin 300384 , China.
³ Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering , Taishan Scholar Advantage and Characteristic Discipline Team of Eco Chemical Process and Technology , College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , Qingdao University of Science and Technology , Qingdao 266042 , China.
⁴ Laboratory of Catalysis Chemistry and Nanoscience , Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , College of Environmental and Energy Engineering , Beijing University of Technology , Beijing 100124 , China.
⁵ Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility , Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shanghai 201204 , China.
⁶ The Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology , Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology of Advanced Batteries Materials , College of Engineering , Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China.

Abstract

Sub-nanometer noble metal catalysts, especially single atom (SA), are a new class of catalytic materials for boosting catalysis and possess unique catalytic properties and high atomic utilization efficiency. Exploring the interaction between two neighboring atom monomers has great potential to further improve the performance of SA catalysts and deepen the understanding on the catalytic mechanism of heterogeneous catalysis at the atomic level. Herein, we demonstrate that the synergetic effect between neighboring Pt and Ru monomers supported on N vacancy-rich g-C₃N₄ promotes the catalytic CO oxidation. The experimental observation and theoretical simulation reveal that the N vacancy in the g-C₃N₄ structure builds an optimized triangular sub-nanometer cavity for stabilizing the neighboring Pt-Ru monomers by forming Pt-C and Ru-N bonds. The mechanistic studies based on the in situ IR spectrum and theoretical simulation confirm that the neighboring Pt-Ru monomers possess a higher performance for optimizing O₂ activation than Ru-Ru/Pt-Pt monomers or isolated Ru/Pt atoms by balancing the energy evolution of reaction steps in the catalytic CO oxidation. The discovery of the synergetic effect between neighboring monomers may create a new path for manipulating the catalytic properties of SA catalysts.