Stabilizing a Platinum1 Single-Atom Catalyst on Supported Phosphomolybdic Acid without Compromising Hydrogenation...

Area of Science:

• Coordination chemistry
• Heterogeneous catalysis
• Materials science

Background:

• Zero- or low-valent metal complexes often exhibit four-coordinate geometries.
• Developing stable single-atom catalysts (SACs) with high metal loading is crucial for efficient catalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable platinum single-atom catalyst (Pt1 SAC) with high platinum loading.
• To investigate the catalytic performance of the developed Pt1 SAC in hydrogenation reactions.

Main Methods:

• Anchoring platinum atoms onto four-fold hollow sites of phosphomolybdic acid (PMA)-modified active carbon.
• Characterizing the structure and electronic properties of the Pt1 SAC.
• Evaluating the catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and cyclohexanone.

Main Results:

• A stable Pt1 SAC with high Pt loading (close to 1 wt%) was successfully synthesized.
• Each Pt atom is stabilized by four oxygen atoms in a distorted square-planar geometry.
• The Pt1 SAC demonstrated excellent performance in the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and cyclohexanone, attributed to its positively charged nature and strong hydrogen absorption.

Conclusions:

• The developed Pt1 SAC exhibits superior catalytic activity and stability.
• The strategy of anchoring single atoms on specific sites of modified supports can be extended to create other stable SACs with enhanced catalytic properties.