Construction of Pt3Sn1 Alloy Catalyst with High Activity for Selective Hydrogenation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

Regulating catalyst component is necessary to improve the catalytic efficiency of selective hydrogenation for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Here, we precisely construct PtSn bimetallic alloy catalysts with different Pt/Sn atomic ratios by a deposition–precipitation strategy. Importantly, a volcano-type relationship between the PtSn alloy component and catalytic activity is disclosed during the selective hydrogenation of HMF. Remarkably, the Pt3Sn1 alloy catalyst exhibits the highest catalytic activity compared to that of other samples, which could achieve 99.1% HMF conversion and 98.1% 2,5-bis (hydroxymethyl) furan selectivity. Moreover, the turnover frequency of Pt3Sn1 catalyst is 1952 h–1, which is about 6 times as high as that of pure Pt catalyst. Further studies reveal that the introduction of Sn could change the electronic structure of Pt atoms. Different Pt/Sn atomic ratios result in different extents of charge transfer from Sn to Pt. The Pt sites in Pt3Sn1 show moderate changes in electronic structure, which enhance the adsorption of the reactants and thus boost the intrinsic catalytic activity. This work provides a novel insight to optimize the component of catalysts in various reactions.