Shielding Pt/γ-Mo₂N by inert nano-overlays enables stable H₂ production

The use of reactive supports to disperse metal species is crucial for constructing highly efficient interfacial catalysts, by tuning the competitive reactant adsorption-activation pattern in supported metal catalysts into a non-competitive mechanism^1-3. However, these reactive supports are prone to deterioration during catalysis, limiting the lifespan of the catalyst and their potential practical applications⁴. New strategies are needed to simultaneously protect reactive supports and surface metal species without compromising the inherent catalytic performance. Here we report a new strategy to augment the structural stability of highly active interfacial catalysts by using inert nano-overlays to partially shield and partition the surface of the reactive support. Specifically, we demonstrate that atomically dispersed inert oxide nano-overlays on a highly active Pt/γ-Mo₂N catalyst can block the redundant surface sites of γ-Mo₂N responsible for surface oxidation of this reactive support and the resulting deactivation. This strategy yields an efficient and highly durable catalyst for hydrogen production by methanol-reforming reaction with a mere 0.26 wt% Pt loading, exhibiting a record-high turnover number, to our knowledge, of 15,300,000 and a notable apparent turnover frequency of $$ . This innovative approach showcases the prospects of reducing noble metal consumption and boosting longevity, which could be applied to design effective and stable heterogeneous catalysts.