PO₄ ^3- Coordinated Robust Single-Atom Platinum Catalyst for Selective Polyol Oxidation

Achieving efficient catalytic conversion over a heterogeneous catalyst with excellent resistance against leaching is still a grand challenge for sustainable chemical synthesis in aqueous solution. Herein, we devised a single-atom Pt₁ /hydroxyapatite (HAP) catalyst via a simple hydrothermal strategy. Gratifyingly, this robust Pt₁ /HAP catalyst exhibits remarkable catalytic selectivity and catalyst stability for the selective oxidation of C₂ -C₄ polyols to corresponding primary hydroxy acids. It is found that the Pt-(O-P) linkages with strong electron-withdrawing function of PO₄ ^3- (Pt₁ -OPO₄ ^3- pair active site) not only realize the activation of the C-H bond, but also destabilize the transition state from adsorbed hydroxy acids toward the C-C cleavage, resulting in the sharply increased selectivity of hydroxy acids. Moreover, the strong PO₄ ^3- -coordination effect provides electrostatic stabilization for single-atom Pt, ensuring the highly efficient catalysis of Pt₁ /HAP for over 160 hours with superior leaching resistance.