Atomically dispersed Pt₁Ir₁ pair for synergetic hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone

Atomically dispersed metal catalysts have attracted considerable attention in various important reactions owing to their high atom utilization and specific coordination environment. However, monometallic single sites sometimes present undesirable catalytic performance, which usually need a synergistic effect with the neighboring metal atoms, such as dimers or trimers. Different metal pairs on various solid carriers have been reported; nonetheless, huge challenges remain to precisely prepare a metal pair-site. Herein, we present a versatile strategy to synthesize an atomically dispersed Pt₁Ir₁ pair via strong metal-sulfur interaction over porous sulfur-doped carbons. Pt₁Ir₁ pair sites presented high activity and stability for the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone.