The interfacial effect between a metal catalyst and its various supporting transition metal oxides on the catalytic activity of heterogeneous catalysis has been extensively explored. It has been found that engineering interfacial sites of metal supported on metal oxide influence catalytic performance. Here, we have investigated the interfacial effect of Pt nanowires (NWs) vertically and alternatingly stacked with titanium dioxide (TiO2) or cobalt monoxide nanowire (CoO) NWs, which exhibit a strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) under carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation. High-resolution nanotransfer printing based on nanoscale pattern replication and e-beam evaporation were utilized to obtain the Pt NWs cross-stacked on the CoO or TiO2 NW on the silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrate with varying numbers of nanowires. The morphology and interfacial area were precisely determined by means of atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The cross-stacked Pt/TiO2 NW and Pt/CoO NW catalysts were estimated with CO oxidation under 40 Torr CO and 100 Torr O2 from 200 to 240 degree Celsius. The higher catalytic activity was found on the Pt/CoO NW catalyst compared to that of Pt/TiO2 NW and Pt NW, which indicates the significance of nanoscale metal-oxide interfaces. As the number of nanowire layers increased, the catalytic activity became saturated. Our study demonstrates the interfacial role of nanoscale metal–oxide interfaces under CO oxidation, which has intriguing applications in the smart design of novel catalytic materials.

Engineering nanoscale interfaces of metal/oxide nanowires to control catalytic activity

ACS Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting

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