Thermally Triggered Redox Flexibility of Pt/CeO <sub>2</sub> Cluster Catalyst Against In‐Situ Atomic Redispersion
Haofan Lei, Ningqiang Zhang, Sunpei Hu, Fenglin Peng, Jiahai Zhou, Jian He, Lijun Zhang, Haiqian Wang, Chao Ma, Han Yan, Ken‐ichi Shimizu, Jie Zeng
Abstract
Abstract For supported catalysts, the redispersion of aggregated metal sites into single atoms is dictated by the reactant‐induced metal‐support interaction, which may also deteriorate the intrinsic activity. Here we discovered the spontaneous redispersion of CeO 2 ‐supported Pt clusters into Pt single atoms during catalytic CO oxidation, driven by Pt‐CeO 2 interaction with surface hydroxyls as the key stabilizer. This structural evolution was accompanied by deactivation, leading to inferior catalytic activity. After achieving the clear distinction of PtO x clusters and Pt single atoms, we propose a thermal aging strategy to preserve the Pt clusters against redispersion. The high‐temperature calcination at 800 °C significantly removed the surface hydroxyls of Pt/CeO 2 , thereby eliminating the anchoring sites for Pt redispersion and consequently preserving the Pt clusters. Moreover, the Ce 3+ /Ce 4+ redox cycles were triggered, enabling the interfacial Ce 3+ sites to fulfill O 2 activation. Together with the enhanced CO adsorption on Pt clusters over single atoms, this redox flexibility in valence change delivered superior activity for CO oxidation.