Photothermal synergistic catalytic oxidation of toluene over single-atom Pt catalysts was investigated. Compared with the conventional thermocatalytic oxidation in the dark, toluene conversion and CO 2 yield over 0.39Pt 1 /CuO-CeO 2 under simulated solar irradiation (λ = 320−2500 nm, optical power density = 200 mW cm −2 ) at 180 °C could be increased about 48%. An amount of CuO was added to CeO 2 to disperse single-atom Pt with a maximal Pt loading of 0.83 wt %. The synergistic effect between photo-and thermocatalysis is very important for the development of new pollutant treatment technology with high efficiency and low energy consumption. Both light and heat played an important role in the present photothermal synergistic catalytic oxidation. 0.39Pt 1 /CuO-CeO 2 showed good redox performance and excellent optical properties and utilized the full-spectrum solar energy. Light illumination induced the generation of reactive oxygen species ( • OH and • O 2 − ), which accelerated the transformation of intermediates, promoted the release of active sites on the catalyst surface, and improved the oxidation reaction.

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The controlled oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding ketones or aldehydes via selective cleavage of the β‐C−H bond of alcohols under mild conditions still remains a significant challenge. Although the metal/oxide interface is highly active and selective, the interfacial sites fall far behind the demand, due to the large and thick support. Herein, we successfully develop a unique Au−CuO Janus structure (average particle size=3.8 nm) with an ultrathin CuO layer (0.5 nm thickness) via a bimetal in situ activation and separation strategy. The resulting Au−CuO interfacial sites prominently enhance isopropanol adsorption and decrease the energy barrier of β‐C−H bond scission from 1.44 to 0.01 eV due to the strong affinity between the O atom of CuO and the H atom of isopropanol, compared with Au sites alone, thereby achieving ultrahigh acetone selectivity (99.3 %) over 1.1 wt % AuCu0.75/Al2O3 at 100 °C and atmospheric pressure with 97.5 % isopropanol conversion. Furthermore, Au−CuO Janus structures supported on SiO2, TiO2 or CeO2 exhibit remarkable catalytic performance, and great promotion in activity and acetone selectivity is achieved as well for other reducible oxides derived from Fe, Co, Ni and Mn. This study should help to develop strategies for maximized interfacial site construction and structure optimization for efficient β‐C−H bond activation.

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Pt-based catalysts can be poisoned by the chlorine formed during the oxidation of multicomponent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) containing chlorinated VOCs. Improving the low-temperature chlorine resistance of catalysts is important for industrial applications, although it is yet challenging. We hereby demonstrate the essential catalytic roles of a bifunctional catalyst with an atomic-scale metal/oxide interface constructed by an intermetallic compound nanocrystal. Introducing trichloroethylene (TCE) exhibits a less negative effect on the catalytic activity of the bimetallic catalyst for o-xylene oxidation, and the partial deactivation caused by TCE addition is reversible, suggesting that the bimetallic, HCl-etched Pt3Sn­(E)/CeO2 catalyst possesses much stronger chlorine resistance than the conventional Pt/CeO2 catalyst. On the site-isolated Pt–Sn catalyst, the presence of aromatic hydrocarbon significantly inhibits the adsorption strength of TCE, resulting in excellent catalytic stability in the oxidation of the VOC mixture. Furthermore, the large amount of surface-adsorbed oxygen species generated on the electronegative Pt is highly effective for low-temperature C–Cl bond dissociation. The adjacent promoter (Sn–O) possesses the functionality of acid sites to provide sufficient protons for HCl formation over the bifunctional catalyst, which is considered critical to maintaining the reactivity of Pt by removing Cl and decreasing the polychlorinated byproducts.