Ultralow Pt Loaded Catalyst for Formaldehyde Elimination: The Determinant Role of Support

Supported Pt catalyst has been intensively investigated for formaldehyde elimination for its superior reactivity at room-temperature (RT), while it is immensely challenged by the high Pt content. Herein, we report PbO supported Pt catalysts with only 0.1wt% Pt, which can achieve complete conversion of formaldehyde and reliable stability at RT under demanding conditions. Both experiments and simulations demonstrate that PbO interacts strongly with the Pt species, resulting in tight Pb-O-Pt bonding at the metal/support interface and concomitant activation of the surface lattice oxygen of support. Moreover, PbO exhibits an extremely high capacity of formaldehyde capture through methylene glycol chemisorption rather than the common hydroxyl-associated adsorption. Thus it visualizes a different reaction mechanism in that the active surface lattice oxygen in the vicinity of Pt species offers improved reactivity. This work provide a valuable example for the design of an efficient catalyst for formaldehyde and even other carbohydrate oxidation.