Atomically Dispersed Pt-Ru Dual-Atom Catalysts for Efficient Low-Temperature CO Oxidation Reaction

Area of Science:

• Heterogeneous Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Single-atom catalysts (SACs) offer high atomic efficiency but struggle with reactions needing multiple reactant activations.
• Limitations exist for SACs in reactions requiring simultaneous activation of multiple reactants over metallic sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and investigate an atomically dispersed Pt1Ru1 dual-atom pair site catalyst anchored on nanodiamond@graphene (ND@G) for enhanced CO oxidation.
• To evaluate the catalytic performance, stability, and underlying mechanism of the dual-atom catalyst compared to SACs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of atomically dispersed Pt1Ru1 dual-atom pair sites on a nanodiamond@graphene support.
• Characterization of the catalyst's structure and composition.
• Evaluation of catalytic activity and stability for CO oxidation via turnover frequency (TOF) measurements at various temperatures.

Main Results:

• The Pt1Ru1 dual-atom catalyst achieved a high TOF of 17.6 × 10^-2 s^-1 at 30°C, a tenfold increase over the Pt1 SAC (1.5 × 10^-2 s^-1).
• The catalyst demonstrated excellent stability, maintaining activity for 40 hours at 80°C without significant deactivation.
• Superior performance was attributed to synergistic Pt-Ru effects, enhancing simultaneous CO and O2 adsorption and activation.

Conclusions:

• Dual-atom pair sites offer significant advantages over single-atom catalysts for specific reactions like CO oxidation.
• The Pt-Ru dual-atom catalyst on ND@G represents a promising advancement in heterogeneous catalysis.
• This work provides a foundation for designing precise, atomically scaled catalysts through synergistic effects.