Pt3Co Octapods as Superior Catalysts of CO2 Hydrogenation

As the electron transfer to CO2 is a critical step in the activation of CO2, it is of significant importance to engineer the electronic properties of CO2 hydrogenation catalysts to enhance their activity. Herein, we prepared Pt3Co nanocrystals with improved catalytic performance towards CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Pt3Co octapods, Pt3Co nanocubes, Pt octapods, and Pt nanocubes were tested, and the Pt3Co octapods achieved the best catalytic activity. Both the presence of multiple sharp tips and charge transfer between Pt and Co enabled the accumulation of negative charges on the Pt atoms in the vertices of the Pt3Co octapods. Moreover, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the high negative charge density at the Pt atoms in the vertices of the Pt3Co octapods promotes the activation of CO2 and accordingly enhances the catalytic activity.