Full utilization of noble metals by atom abstraction for propane dehydrogenation
Guodong Sun, Ran Luo, Donglong Fu, Kexin Wu, Xianhua Zhang, Xiaoqing Bian, Zhenpu Lu, Xin Chang, Zhi Wang, Siwei Huang, Yihan Zhu, Jihan Zhou, Sai Chen, Chunlei Pei, Zhi‐Jian Zhao, Jinlong Gong
Abstract
Maximizing atomic utilization of noble metals is crucial for efficient industrial catalysis. We demonstrate that minimal platinum (Pt) loading for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) can be achieved through atom abstraction. At low loadings of Pt with copper (Cu), reduction over silica or other oxide supports formed nanoparticles (NPs) with Pt mainly dispersed in the bulk. Addition of tin (Sn) to the alloy led to formation of surface Pt 1 Sn 1 dimers. The larger atomic radius of Sn compared with Cu drove it to the surface, and its stronger interactions with Pt abstracted Pt from the bulk. Single metallic Pt atoms were stabilized on fully open surfaces, resulting in nearly 100% surface exposure. This configuration reduced Pt usage by one order of magnitude for propane dehydrogenation and improved catalytic stability.