Taming interfacial electronic properties of platinum nanoparticles on vacancy-abundant boron nitride nanosheets for enhanced catalysis

Wenshuai Zhu, Zili Wu, Guo Shiou Foo, Xiang Gao, Mingxia Zhou, Bin Liu, Gabriel M. Veith, Peiwen Wu, Katie L. Browning, Ho Nyung Lee, Huaming Li, Sheng Dai, Huiyuan Zhu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

214 Scopus citations

Abstract

Taming interfacial electronic effects on Pt nanoparticles modulated by their concomitants has emerged as an intriguing approach to optimize Pt catalytic performance. Here, we report Pt nanoparticles assembled on vacancy-abundant hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets and their use as a model catalyst to embrace an interfacial electronic effect on Pt induced by the nanosheets with N-vacancies and B-vacancies for superior CO oxidation catalysis. Experimental results indicate that strong interaction exists between Pt and the vacancies. Bader charge analysis shows that with Pt on B-vacancies, the nanosheets serve as a Lewis acid to accept electrons from Pt, and on the contrary, when Pt sits on N-vacancies, the nanosheets act as a Lewis base for donating electrons to Pt. The overall-electronic effect demonstrates an electron-rich feature of Pt after assembling on hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets. Such an interfacial electronic effect makes Pt favour the adsorption of O2, alleviating CO poisoning and promoting the catalysis.

Original languageEnglish
Article number15291
Pages (from-to)15291
Number of pages1
JournalNature Communications
Volume8
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 9 2017

Funding

FundersFunder number
Office of the Director0903806, 1006860

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