Although perovskite catalysts are well-known for their excellent redox property, their acid-base reactivity remains largely unknown. To explore the potential of perovskites in acid-base catalysis, we made a comprehensive investigation in this work on the acid-base properties and reactivity of a series of selected perovskites, SrTiO3, BaTiO3, SrZrO3, and BaZrO3, via a combination of various approaches including adsorption microcalorimetry, in situ FTIR spectroscopy, steady state kinetic measurements and density functional theory (DFT) modeling. It was found that surface reconstruction/segregation of the perovskites is common and can be tuned via different treatments. By control the surface reconstructions, it is possible to tune the acid-base reactivity and selectivity of the perovskite catalysts. It was also demonstrated that the surface heat of reaction can be a potential descriptor for acid-base reactivity over the investigated perovskite catalysts. Our work manifests the importance of understanding not only the bulk structure but also the surface structure and composition for catalysis over complex oxides such as perovskites.

Role of surface and bulk structures of perovskites in catalyzing acid-base reactions

254th National Meeting (2017)

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