Influence of reduction temperature on Pt–ZrO2 interfaces for the gas-phase hydrogenation of acetone to isopropanol

Abstract

The gas-phase hydrogenation of acetone to isopropanol is an environmentally benign process relevant to chemical, energy and medical fields, but the catalysts working at low temperatures and pressures remain challenging. Herein, we show that the intensified gas-phase hydrogenation of acetone to isopropanol occurs at Pt–ZrO₂ interfaces and the catalytic performance can be influenced by reduction temperature. The catalytic activity of the Pt–ZrO₂ interface increases with the increase in reduction temperature to 200 °C and is nearly unchanged with further reduction to 300 °C due to the stability of the Pt–ZrO₂ interface. For example, Pt/ZrO₂ reduced at 200 °C with the highly active Pt–ZrO₂ interface delivers 92% acetone conversion with 98% isopropanol selectivity at 80 °C, a weight hourly space velocity of 10 h⁻¹, a H₂/acetone molar ratio of 2, and 0.1 MPa, due to the high Pt⁰ and oxygen vacancy content. A series of electron microscopic, thermal, and spectroscopic analyses testify that acetone could be efficiently adsorbed and activated at the Pt–ZrO₂ interface. This study particularly investigates the influence of reduction temperature on acetone adsorption and H₂ activation at the Pt–ZrO₂ interface, establishing the foundation for the rational design of high-cost performance catalysts for aldehyde/ketone hydrogenation and other reactions.