Embedding Ultrafine and High-Content Pt Nanoparticles at Ceria Surface for Enhanced Thermal Stability

Ultrafine Pt nanoparticles loaded on ceria (CeO₂) are promising nanostructured catalysts for many important reactions. However, such catalysts often suffer from thermal instability due to coarsening of Pt nanoparticles at elevated temperatures, especially for those with high Pt loading, which leads to severe deterioration of catalytic performances. Here, a facile strategy is developed to improve the thermal stability of ultrafine (1-2 nm)-Pt/CeO₂ catalysts with high Pt content (≈14 wt%) by partially embedding Pt nanoparticles at the surface of CeO₂ through the redox reaction at the solid-solution interface. Ex situ heating studies demonstrate the significant increase in thermal stability of such embedded nanostructures compared to the conventional loaded catalysts. The microscopic pathways for interparticle coarsening of Pt embedded or loaded on CeO₂ are further investigated by in situ electron microscopy at elevated temperatures. Their morphology and size evolution with heating temperature indicate that migration and coalescence of Pt nanoparticles are remarkably suppressed in the embedded structure up to about 450 °C, which may account for the improved thermal stability compared to the conventional loaded structure.