Synergistic interactions between water and the metal/oxide interface in CO oxidation on Pt/CeO2 model catalysts

Abstract

The significance of catalytic active interfacial sites in metal supported on metal oxide systems has been well established in prototypical CO oxidation reactions. Here, we investigate the role of water molecules in the CO oxidation reaction using Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) supported by a two-dimensional (2D) cerium oxide thin-film. The 2D model CeO2 thin films were fabricated using the e-beam evaporation technique and a monolayer of Pt nanoparticles deposited on CeO2 thin films by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. The well-defined reaction conditions, such as humid and dry conditions, were achieved using an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) batch chamber. Interestingly, we found a strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) in the Pt/CeO2 catalyst under dry reaction conditions, which was increased further by the presence of water molecules. However, water had a detrimental effect on a Pt thin-film model catalyst under humid reaction conditions. By altering the partial pressures of water molecules and CO, the reaction mechanism was established under humid conditions. The current results demonstrate that hydroxyl intermediates from water molecules provide an alternative pathway to the Pt/CeO2 catalyst, resulting in increased overall turnover rates. These findings shed light on the synergistic interplay of water and metal-oxide interfaces.