Promotion effect of Au single-atom support graphene for CO oxidation

Abstract

CO oxidation is a vital catalytic reaction for environmental purification, facing challenges due to the catalysts applied to oxidize CO are mainly rare and expensive noble catalysts. Since the high atomic availability, catalytic efficiency, and selectivity of single-atom catalysis, it has been widely studied and proven to be brilliant in CO oxidation. Au single-atom catalysts are regarded as excellent single-atom catalysts in oxidizing CO, whose progress is limited by the indistinct understanding of the reaction mechanism and role of the active atom. Hence, DFT calculation was used to investigate CO oxidation processes, active mechanisms, and the role of Au single-atom. Graphene involving prominent physical and chemical properties was selected as a model supporter. The single-atom support graphene materials exhibit better CO oxidation activities than pristine graphene, among which CO oxidation property on Au/GP is the highest with a 0.38 eV rate-determining barrier following ER mechanism. The outstanding performances including excellent electronic structures, adsorption properties, and strong activation of intermediate products contribute to the high CO oxidation activity of Au/GP, and the Au single-atom is the active center. Our work provides a novel guide for single-atom catalytic CO oxidation, accelerating the development of single-atom catalysis.