Identifying the influence of atomic order on the catalytic
reactivity
of bimetallic catalysts is essential for their rational design. However,
the synthesis of atomically ordered nanostructures under mild conditions
is not trivial, and in many cases a mixture of various compositions
is formed. Here we show a simple and highly versatile approach for
synthesis of Pt–Co bimetallic nanoporous network (BNN) and
demonstrate the influence of preparation conditions on the BNN’s
atomic order and catalytic reactivity. High surface area Pt3Co BNN was prepared by reduction of [Co(NH3)5Cl][PtCl4] double complex salt crystals. The BNN phase
was transformed from Pt3Co to segregated Pt and Co domains
once the reduction temperature of the double complex salt crystals
was elevated. High selectivity toward hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived
5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-dimethylfuran was obtained while catalyzing
the reaction with Pt3Co BNN. The catalytic yield was deteriorated
by more than an order of magnitude while catalyzing the reaction with
BNN that was constructed of segregated Pt and Co domains. Spectroscopic
analysis identified the presence of an oxidized Co species and a metallic
Pt species in a close to 1:1 ratio on the Pt3Co BNN surface
as crucial factors in lowering the activation energy of the dehydration
reaction.