Pt single atom alloyed sub-1 nm thick Fe overlayer on supported Cu nanoparticles for methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation

Abstract

There is an urgent need for the development of a precious metal-conserving catalyst having high activity, selectivity, and durability for methylcyclohexane (MCH) dehydrogenation, a significant aspect of hydrogen storage and transportation. A Pt-single atom alloyed Fe catalyst with sub-1 nm size is a good candidate for this purpose because of meeting site requirements for enhancement of activity, durability, selectivity, and utilization efficiency of Pt. However, this design is challenging due to the high surface energy of Fe. In this study, to break the limitation of catalyst design, we used a combination of two phenomena spontaneously taking place at the solid surface, i.e., (1) Fe dispersion on Cu, and (2) substitution of metallic Fe atoms with Pt cations. Here, we report a Pt single-atom alloyed sub-1 nm thick Fe overlayer on Cu nanoparticles. The Fe overlayer serves as the host metal to restrict Pt single atoms at the surface and provides an optimal coordination environment for MCH dehydrogenation. Furthermore, the sub-1 nm thick Fe overlayer features low crystallinity and superior decoking properties, which imparts product/coke poisoning resistance to the Pt single atom site, resulting in enhancements of both durability and activity. The H₂-evolution rate per Pt mass was at least 133 times higher than that of state-of-the-art catalysts: Pt-based intermetallic compounds. This research demonstrates the significance of a single-atom-alloying approach with unique nanostructures specifically formed at the solid surface for the development of more efficient sustainable catalytic transformation processes.