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Ultrafine Nanoparticle‐Supported Ru Nanoclusters with Ultrahigh Catalytic Activity
Author(s) -
Zhu Lihua,
Jiang Yingying,
Zheng Jinbao,
Zhang Nuowei,
Yu Changlin,
Li Yunhua,
Pao ChihWen,
Chen JengLung,
Jin Chuanhong,
Lee JyhFu,
Zhong ChuanJian,
Chen Bing H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201500654
Subject(s) - nanoclusters , nanomaterial based catalyst , catalysis , materials science , nanoparticle , non blocking i/o , scanning transmission electron microscopy , adsorption , chemical engineering , dissociation (chemistry) , transmission electron microscopy , nanotechnology , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
The design of an ideal heterogeneous catalyst for hydrogenation reaction is to impart the catalyst with synergetic surface sites active cooperatively toward different reaction species. Herein a new strategy is presented for the creation of such a catalyst with dual active sites by decorating metal and metal oxide nanoparticles with ultrafine nanoclusters at atomic level. This strategy is exemplified by the design and synthesis of Ru nanoclusters supported on Ni/NiO nanoparticles. This Ru‐nanocluster/Ni/NiO‐nanoparticle catalyst is shown to exhibit ultrahigh catalytic activity for benzene hydrogenation reaction, which is 55 times higher than Ru–Ni alloy or Ru on Ni catalysts. The nanoclusters‐on‐nanoparticles are characterized by high‐resolution transmission electron microscope, Cs‐corrected high angle annular dark field‐scanning transmission electron microscopy, elemental mapping, high‐sensitivity low‐energy ion scattering, and X‐ray absorption spectra. The atomic‐scale nanocluster–nanoparticle structural characteristics constitute the basis for creating the catalytic synergy of the surface sites, where Ru provides hydrogen adsorption and dissociation site, Ni acts as a “bridge” for transferring H species to benzene adsorbed and activated at NiO site, which has significant implications to multifunctional nanocatalysts design for wide ranges of catalytic reactions.