Tuning Pt-TiO₂ Interactions to Switch Inhibition to Synergy in Toluene-Acetone Mixture Combustion.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Inhibitory interactions among volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in industrial exhaust hinder effective catalytic abatement.
• Current catalytic technologies struggle to address these adverse effects in mixed VOC systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an effective catalyst for VOCs abatement that overcomes inhibitory effects.
• To understand and tune the Pt-TiO2 interaction for synergistic catalytic activity.

Main Methods:

• Hydrogen reduction of TiO2 matrix to create Pt/TiO2-800 catalyst.
• Characterization of catalyst properties (e.g., oxygen vacancies, Pt nanoparticle size, electron transfer).
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to analyze defect-enhanced adsorption.

Main Results:

• Pt/TiO2-800 transformed inhibitory effects into synergistic effects for toluene-acetone mixtures.
• Optimal catalytic activity achieved at 0.6 wt % Pt loading.
• Reduced reaction temperatures by 21 °C for toluene and 24 °C for acetone.
• Catalyst exhibited abundant oxygen vacancy clusters, enhanced electron transfer, and improved oxidative capacity.

Conclusions:

• Pt/TiO2-800 demonstrates superior performance in mixed VOC oxidation due to modulated Pt-TiO2 interactions.
• Oxygen vacancies play a crucial role in enhancing catalytic activity and adsorption.
• This work provides an effective catalyst for VOCs abatement and advances understanding of Pt-TiO2 interactions.