Pt-Ni single atom alloy: Maximized synergistic effect for NO reduction with CO

doi:10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65149-2

Abstract

Abstract:

The reduction of NO with CO is a key reaction in emission control and heavily relies on the use of noble metal catalysts. Reducing the catalyst cost without compromising the activity and selectivity is still a challenge. In this work, we design a PtNi₄₀ single atom alloy (SAA) catalyst featuring Pt single atoms uniformly distributed in a Ni matrix supported on TiO₂ nanosheets. The PtNi₄₀/TiO₂ catalyst exhibits superior performance compared to its monometallic and random alloy counterparts, achieving complete NO conversion and 100% N₂ selectivity at 250 °C and outstanding stability over a 100-h run. High angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging, X-ray absorption fine structure, in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations reveal a distinctive synergy between the two metals. Pt single atoms are negatively charged due to remarkable electron transfer from Ni to Pt, and NO dissociation occurs on Ni ensembles whereas CO is preferentially adsorbed on electron-rich Pt single atoms. The reaction of NO+CO proceeds over the Pt-Ni SAA structure with a much lower barrier compared to monometallic Pt catalyst, demonstrating the unrivalled capability of SAA for enhancing the activity and selectivity with much reduced use of noble metals.

Key words: PtNi alloy, Single atom alloy, NO reduction, Negatively charged Pt atoms, Adsorption sites

Shengxin Zhang, Anqi Li, Zhounan Yu, Lin Li, Xiaoyan Liu, Wei Liu, Aiqin Wang, Tao Zhang. Pt-Ni single atom alloy: Maximized synergistic effect for NO reduction with CO[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 88: 422-431.

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URL: https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65149-2

https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/Y2026/V88/I9/422

Figures/Tables 6

Fig. 1. HAADF-STEM characterization of different catalysts. (a-d) images of Pt/TiO2 (a), PtNi1/TiO2 (b), PtNi4/TiO2 (c), and PtNi40/TiO2 and corresponding EDS mapping images (d) of Ti, Ni, O, Pt. (e) Average particle sizes.

Fig. 2. Identification of microstructure of PtNix/TiO2 catalysts with different Pt/Ni atomic ratios. XANES spectra (a) and Fourier transformed EXAFS (b) at Pt L3-edge. (c) In-situ DRIFTS for CO adsorption. (d) Pt 4f XPS for Pt/TiO2 and PtNi40/TiO2 catalysts.

Fig. 3. Catalytic performances of PtNix/TiO2 catalysts for CO-NO reaction. (a) NO conversion. (b) N2 selectivity. (c) The TOF at 250 °C as a function of Pt-Ni percentage. (d) The TOF at 250 °C as a function of wavenumber of linearly adsorbed CO on Pt. Reaction conditions: 100 mg catalyst; 0.2% CO; 0.2% NO; He balance; total flow rate 33.3 mL/min; GHSV of 20000 h-1.

Fig. 4. NO-TPD profiles over different catalysts. (a) Pt/TiO2; (b) Ni/TiO2; (c) PtNi4/TiO2; (d) PtNi40/TiO2.

Fig. 5. In-situ DRIFTS spectra on different catalysts. (a) NO adsorption. (b) NO+CO co-adsorption.

Fig. 6. Calculated mechanism of CO-SCR over Pt/TiO2 and PtNi40/TiO2.

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