Interface sites activated by ultralow-loaded single-atom Pt for enhanced hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived phenolic compounds to cyclic alcohols

Reducing interface engineering to the atomic scale can significantly improve catalytic performance, but it is extremely challenging. Herein, we report a Co–Ce composite metal oxide-supported single-atom Pt catalyst with dual interfacial sites for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol to cyclohexanol. The 0.1wt.%Pt/Co 2 Ce 1 O x exhibited the best performance and good reusability, achieving 100% guaiacol conversion and 96.1% selectivity toward cyclohexanol. We successfully correlated ultralow active metal content with high catalytic activity, and achieved the maximum utilization efficiency of precious metal atoms. The high HDO activity of the catalyst is mainly attributed to the unique interfacial effect between the single-atom Pt and CoO, which significantly enhances the adsorption and activation of H 2 molecules. In addition, the 0.1wt.%Pt/Co 2 Ce 1 O x exhibits excellent substrate universality in HDO of various lignin-derived monomers and can also convert lignin to cyclic alcohols in a one-pot process. This work demonstrates the superiority of low-loading single-atom catalysts based on composite metal oxides in HDO reactions and suggests a renewable strategy for replacing of fossil-based cyclohexanol via lignin upgrading.