CO Oxidation on Metal Oxide Supported Single Pt atoms: The Role of the Support

Supported metal single atoms have demonstrated excellent catalytic performance for many chemical transformations. The effects of support on the catalytic performance of supported single metal atoms, however, have not been clearly elucidated. We carried out a systematic investigation of the effects of supports on CO oxidation by single Pt (Pt1) atoms dispersed on different metal oxides: highly reducible Fe2O3, reducible ZnO, and irreducible gamma-Al2O3. It was found that Pt-1 atoms on three metal oxides are active for CO oxidation, and the chemical properties of supports determine the catalytic performance of Pt-1 single-atom catalysts (SACs). Both the presence of OH groups on support surfaces and the addition of H2O significantly modify CO oxidation on three SACs and reduce the effects of supports on their catalytic performances. We conclude that the interaction between single metal atoms and support as well as surface properties of supports control the catalytic behavior of SACs.