Local environmental engineering for highly stable single-atom Pt 1 /CeO 2 catalysts: first-principles insights.

Single-atom Pt/CeOcatalysts may cope with the high cost and durability issues of fuel cell electrocatalysts. In the present study, the stability and underlying interaction mechanisms of the Pt/CeOsystem are systematically investigated using first-principles calculations. The Pt adsorption energy on CeOsurfaces can be divided into chemical interaction and surface deformation parts. The interaction energy, mainly associated with the local chemical environment, i.e. the number of Pt-O bonds, plays a major role in Pt/CeOstability. When forming a Pt-4O configuration, the catalytic system has the highest stability and Pt is oxidized to Pt. An electronic metal-support interaction mechanism is proposed for understanding Pt/CeOstability. In addition, our calculations show that the Pt/CeO(100) system is dynamically stable, and the external O environment can promote the further oxidation of Pt to Pt(2 ≤< 4). The present study provides useful guidance for the experimental development of highly stable and efficient electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications.