Catalysts consisting of atomically dispersed Pt (Ptiso) species on CeO2 supports have received recent interest due to their potential for efficient metal utilization in catalytic convertors. However, discrepancies exist between the behavior (reducibility, interaction strength with adsorbates) of high surface area Ptiso/CeO2 systems and of well-defined surface science and computational model systems, suggesting differences in Pt local coordination in the two classes of materials. Here, we reconcile these differences by demonstrating that high surface area Ptiso/CeO2 synthesized at low Pt loadings (<0.1% weight) exhibit resistance to reduction and sintering up to 500 °C in 0.05 bar H2 and minimal interactions with COproperties previously seen only for model system studies. Alternatively, Pt loadings >0.1 weight % produce a distribution of sub-nanometer Pt structures, which are difficult to distinguish using common characterization techniques, and exhibit strong interactions with CO and weak resistance to sintering, even in 0.05 bar H2 at 50 °Cproperties previously seen for high surface area materials. This work demonstrates that low metal loadings can be used to selectively populate the most thermodynamically stable adsorption sites on high surface area supports with atomically dispersed metals. Further, the site uniformity afforded by this synthetic approach is critical for the development of relationships between atomic scale local coordination and functional properties. Comparisons to recent studies of Ptiso/TiO2 suggest a general compromise between the stability of atomically dispersed metal catalysts and their ability to interact with and activate molecular species.

Well-defined Cu catalysts containing different amounts of zirconia were synthesized by controlled surface reactions (CSRs) and atomic layer deposition methods and studied for the selective conversion of ethanol to ethyl acetate and for methanol synthesis. Selective deposition of ZrO2 on undercoordinated Cu sites or near Cu nanoparticles via the CSR method was evidenced by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma absorption emission spectroscopy. The concentrations of Cu and Cu-ZrO2 interfacial sites were quantified using a combination of subambient CO Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and reactive N2O chemisorption measurements. The oxidation states of the Cu and ZrO2 species for these catalysts were determined using X-ray absorption near edge structure measurements, showing that these species were present primarily as Cu0 and Zr4+, respectively. It was found that the formation of Cu-ZrO2 interfacial sites increased the turnover frequency by an order of magnitude in both the conversion of ethanol to ethyl acetate and the synthesis of methanol from CO2 and H2.

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Titania-supported monometallic and bimetallic Cu−Co catalysts were prepared using (co)impregnation and studied for the hydrogenation of γ-butyrolactone (GBL) to 1,4-butanediol (BDO) at temperatures from 100 to 180 °C and a hydrogen pressure of 3.4 MPa. The highest catalytic activity occurred at a Cu:Co atomic ratio of 1:9 (Cu 0.1 Co 0.9 / TiO 2 ), and a 95% yield of BDO was obtained. Characterization results showed mainly small nanoparticles (average size 2.6 nm) for pure Cu/TiO 2 , large particles (∼19.8 nm) for pure Co/TiO 2 , and a bimodal particle size distribution of both small (∼2.3 nm) and large (∼16.5 nm) particles for the bimetallic catalyst with a Cu:Co ratio of 1:1. The addition of ∼10 mol % Cu to Co/TiO 2 increased the reducibility of the Co and resulted in the formation of core−shell CuCo bimetallic nanoparticles with a Co-rich core and Cu-rich shell. GBL hydrogenation in liquid ethanol and water produced an ester (ethyl 4hydroxybutanoate) and a carboxylic acid (4-hydroxybutanoic acid) as the major products, respectively. GBL hydrogenation in 1,4-dioxane likely went through a 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran (2-HTHF) intermediate. The 2-HTHF underwent facile ringopening tautomerization to 4-hydroxybutanal (4-HB), followed by rapid hydrogenation to BDO at a reaction rate up to 700 times faster than GBL hydrogenation. The Cu 0.1 Co 0.9 /TiO 2 catalyst maintained the BDO selectivity and about 80% of initial activity for GBL hydrogenation after 150 h time on stream in a continuous flow reactor.

Linear octenes were produced in high (70–85%) selectivity from oligomerization of liquid 1-butene using carbon-supported cobalt oxide catalysts in a continuous flow reactor. The liquid products were characterized by two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Above 95% of the oligomers were C8 olefins, with the other products primarily being branched C12 olefins. The linear octene products at a conversion of 9.77% decreased in selectivity according to 3-octene > trans-2-octene > cis-2-octene > 4-octene. Methyl-heptenes including trans/cis-5-methyl-2-heptene > trans/cis-5-methyl-3-heptene > trans-3-methyl-2-heptene (at the lowest conversion) were the other major products summing to 15.6%. The selectivity of linear octenes decreased from 84 to 78% as the conversion increased from 10% to 29%. The product distribution suggests the reaction pathway involves a head-to-head coupling of two 1-butene molecules to form internal linear octenes. Head-to-tail coupling of two 1-butene molecules or a coupling between 1-butene and 2-butene forms the observed methyl-heptenes. The rate of head-to-head coupling is higher than the rate of head-to-tail or the rate of 1-butene to 2-butene coupling as indicated by the higher selectivity of linear octenes. The activated catalyst contained both Co3O4 and CoO as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), in situ Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The cobalt oxide particle size was estimated to be between 5 and 10 nm by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and XRD. The Co3O4/CoO ratio decreased with increasing pretreatment temperature. Metallic cobalt, which has a low catalytic activity, formed at 550 °C.