UC Berkeley

Single-atom site catalysts can improve the rates and selectivity of many catalytic reactions. We have modified Pt₁/CeO₂ single sites by combining them with molecular groups and with oxygen vacancies of the support. The new sites include hydrided (Pt²⁺-Ce³⁺H^δ) and hydroxylated (Pt²⁺-Ce³⁺OH) sites that exhibit higher reactivity and selectivity to previous single sites for several reactions, including a ninefold increase in the reaction rate for carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation, and a 2.3-fold improvement of propylene selectivity for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. The atomic structure and reaction steps of these sites were determined with in situ and ex situ spectroscopy techniques and theoretical methods.