Abstract

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have demonstrated superior catalytic performance in numerous heterogeneous reactions. However, producing thermally stable SACs, especially in a simple and scalable way, remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report the synthesis of Ru SACs from commercial RuO2 powders by physical mixing of sub-micron RuO2 aggregates with a MgAl1.2Fe0.8O4 spinel. Atomically dispersed Ru is confirmed by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Detailed studies reveal that the dispersion process does not arise from a gas atom trapping mechanism, but rather from anti-Ostwald ripening promoted by a strong covalent metal-support interaction. This synthetic strategy is simple and amenable to the large-scale manufacture of thermally stable SACs for industrial applications.

Large scale production of thermally stable single-atom catalysts (SACs) remains challenging. Here, the authors report scalable synthesis of Ru SACs by heating physical mixture of commercial RuO2 and Fe-containing support, which is significantly promoted by strong metal-support interaction.

Details

Title
Strong metal-support interaction promoted scalable production of thermally stable single-atom catalysts
Author
Liu Kaipeng 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zhao Xintian 2 ; Ren Guoqing 1 ; Yang, Tao 2 ; Ren Yujing 1 ; Lee Adam Fraser 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Yang, Su 4 ; Pan Xiaoli 4 ; Zhang Jingcai 4 ; Chen, Zhiqiang 4 ; Yang, Jingyi 1 ; Liu, Xiaoyan 4 ; Zhou, Tong 5 ; Wei, Xi 5 ; Luo, Jun 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zeng Chaobin 6 ; Matsumoto, Hiroaki 6 ; Liu, Wei 7 ; Jiang Qike 7 ; Wilson, Karen 3 ; Wang, Aiqin 8 ; Qiao Botao 9   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Li, Weizhen 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zhang, Tao 10 

1  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.410726.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 1797 8419) 
2  Xi’an Jiaotong University, School of Science, MOE Key Laboratory for Non-Equilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi’an, China (GRID:grid.43169.39) (ISNI:0000 0001 0599 1243) 
3  RMIT University, Applied Chemistry & Environmental Science, Melbourne, Australia (GRID:grid.1017.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2163 3550) 
4  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X) 
5  Tianjin University of Technology, Center for Electron Microscopy and Tianjin Key Lab of Advanced Functional Porous Materials, Institute for New Energy Materials and Low-Carbon Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin, China (GRID:grid.265025.6) 
6  Hitachi High-Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China (GRID:grid.265025.6) 
7  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X) 
8  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X); Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X) 
9  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.410752.5) 
10  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.410726.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 1797 8419); Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian, China (GRID:grid.423905.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 1793 300X) 
Publication year
2020
Publication date
2020
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14984-9
ProQuest document ID
2375480086
Copyright
This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.