In this work, we compare the CO oxidation performance of Pt single atom catalysts (SACs) prepared via two methods: (1) conventional wet chemical synthesis (strong electrostatic adsorption–SEA) with calcination at 350 °C in air; and (2) high temperature vapor phase synthesis (atom trapping–AT) with calcination in air at 800 °C leading to ionic Pt being trapped on the CeO2 in a thermally stable form. As-synthesized, both SACs are inactive for low temperature (<150 °C) CO oxidation. After treatment in CO at 275 °C, both catalysts show enhanced reactivity. Despite similar Pt metal particle size, the AT catalyst is significantly more active, with onset of CO oxidation near room temperature. A combination of near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) and CO temperature-programmed reduction (CO-TPR) shows that the high reactivity at low temperatures can be related to the improved reducibility of lattice oxygen on the CeO2 support.

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published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers. Link to publication General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.• Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal.If the publication is distributed under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the "Taverne" license above, please follow below link for the End User

No abstract

CO2 hydrogenation to methanol can play an important role in meeting the sustainability goals of the chemical industry. In this study, we investigated in detail the role of the Cu–CeO2 interactions for methanol synthesis, emphasizing the role of the copper surface and interface sites between copper and ceria for the hydrogenation of CO2 and CO. A combined CO2–N2O titration approach was developed to quantify the exposed metallic copper sites and ceria oxygen vacancies in reduced Cu/CeO2 catalysts. Extensive characterization shows that copper dispersion is strongly enhanced by strong Cu–CeO2 interactions in comparison to Cu/SiO2. CO2 hydrogenation activity data show that the Cu/CeO2 catalysts displayed higher methanol selectivity compared to a reference Cu/SiO2 catalyst. The improved methanol selectivity stems from inhibition of the reverse water-gas-shift activity. The role of CO in CO2-to-methanol conversion was studied by steady-state and transient cofeeding activity measurements together with (quasi) in situ characterization (TPH, XPS, SSITKA, and IR spectroscopy). The Cu–CeO2 interface provides active sites for the direct hydrogenation of CO to methanol via a formyl intermediate. Cofeeding of small amounts of CO2 to a CO/H2 mixture poisons these interfacial sites due to the formation of carbonate-like species. Methanol synthesis proceeds mainly via CO2 hydrogenation in which the metallic Cu surface provides the active sites.

Heterogeneous single-atom catalysts involve isolated metal atoms anchored to a support, displaying high catalytic performance and stability in many important chemical reactions. We present a general theoretical framework to establish the thermodynamic stability of metal single atoms and metal nanoparticles on a support in the presence of adsorbates. As a case study, we establish for Pt−CeO 2 the CO partial pressure and temperature range within which Pt single atoms are more stable than Pt nanoparticles. Density functional theory and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that Pt atoms doped into the CeO 2 surface exhibit a very high CO oxidation activity and thermodynamic stability in comparison to models involving Pt single atoms on terraces and steps of CeO 2 . An intermediate CO adsorption strength is important to explain a high activity. Our work provides a systematic strategy to evaluate the stability and reactivity of single atoms on a support.

No abstract

Heterogeneous single-atom catalysts (SACs) hold the promise of combining high catalytic performance with maximum utilization of often precious metals. We extend the current thermodynamic view of SAC stability in terms of the binding energy (Ebind) of single-metal atoms on a support to a kinetic (transport) one by considering the activation barrier for metal atom diffusion. A rapid computational screening approach allows predicting diffusion barriers for metal–support pairs based on Ebind of a metal atom to the support and the cohesive energy of the bulk metal (Ec). Metal–support combinations relevant to contemporary catalysis are explored by density functional theory. Assisted by machine-learning methods, we find that the diffusion activation barrier correlates with (Ebind)2/Ec in the physical descriptor space. This diffusion scaling-law provides a simple model for screening thermodynamics to kinetics of metal adatom on a support.