Low-Temperature Acetylene Semi-Hydrogenation over the Pd₁-Cu₁ Dual-Atom Catalyst

Area of Science:

• Heterogeneous catalysis
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Single-atom catalysts (SACs) offer high metal utilization but typically require high temperatures for acetylene semi-hydrogenation.
• Achieving low-temperature reactivity with high ethylene selectivity in SACs remains a significant challenge.
• Tailoring the coordination environment of metal atoms in SACs can potentially enhance catalytic performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a dual-atom catalyst (DAC) with improved low-temperature reactivity and high ethylene selectivity for acetylene semi-hydrogenation.
• To investigate the effect of a dual-atom configuration on catalytic performance compared to single-atom catalysts.
• To provide a strategy for designing advanced catalysts by manipulating atomic coordination environments.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a dual-atom catalyst (DAC) comprising a bonded Pd1-Cu1 atomic pair anchored on nanodiamond graphene (ND@G).
• Evaluation of the catalytic performance of the DAC in acetylene semi-hydrogenation.
• Comparison of the DAC's performance against single-atom Pd and Cu catalysts.

Main Results:

• The fabricated Pd1-Cu1 DAC demonstrated significantly enhanced reactivity at lower temperatures compared to SACs.
• Achieved 100% acetylene conversion and 92% ethylene selectivity at 110 °C, outperforming single-atom catalysts.
• The dual-atom configuration effectively improved intrinsic reactivity and selectivity at reduced operating temperatures.

Conclusions:

• The dual-atom catalyst strategy, by manipulating the coordination environment at the atomic level, is effective for low-temperature hydrogenation.
• Bonded Pd1-Cu1 atomic pairs on ND@G represent a promising catalyst design for efficient and selective acetylene semi-hydrogenation.
• This work offers a new avenue for designing highly active and selective catalysts for various hydrogenation reactions.