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Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
High activity carbide supported catalysts for water gas shift
Neil M Schweitzer1, Joshua A Schaidle, Obiefune K Ezekoye
1Hydrogen Energy Technology Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|February 5, 2011
Summary
Molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) supported platinum (Pt) catalysts show superior performance for the water gas shift reaction. These novel catalysts exhibit high activity and unique particle structures, outperforming traditional oxide supports.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Nanostructured carbides offer high surface areas as alternatives to oxide supports in heterogeneous catalysis.
- Carbides possess intrinsic catalytic activity, enabling catalyst performance tuning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize platinum supported on molybdenum carbide (Pt/Mo2C) catalysts.
- To evaluate their catalytic activity for the water gas shift (WGS) reaction.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Pt/Mo2C catalysts with direct interaction between metal precursor and support.
- Testing WGS reaction rates under differential conditions.
- Utilizing experimental and computational methods to analyze active sites and particle morphology.
Main Results:
- Pt/Mo2C catalysts demonstrated exceptionally high WGS rates, exceeding those of state-of-the-art oxide-supported Pt catalysts and a commercial catalyst.
- Atypical platinum particle morphologies were observed.
- Active sites were identified at the perimeter of Pt particles, with strong Pt-Mo2C interactions.
Conclusions:
- Nanostructured molybdenum carbide is a promising support material for heterogeneous catalysts.
- Strong metal-support interactions lead to unique particle structures and enhanced catalytic activity for the WGS reaction.
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