In Situ Construction of a Porous Nanotrap: A Pathway for Catalyst Performance Optimization

Supported noble metal catalysts have a high catalytic activity and selectivity. However, fast surface reconstruction and sintering of noble metal particles during a high-temperature reaction process pose a major challenge to the stability of the catalysts. In this study, sinter-resistant supported noble metal catalysts were prepared by constructing an oxide nanotrap. Pt/Al2O3 was used as a research paradigm. Dopamine was applied as a structure-directing agent and pore-forming agent to form a porous CeO2 overlay on the surface of Pt/Al2O3 and encapsulate Pt nanoparticles. Due to the confinement of CeO2 and its interaction with Pt, the modified Pt/Al2O3@CeO2 exhibits superior catalytic activity and antisintering stability. This method can be extended to other supported catalyst systems.