Functional nanoscale metal oxides for stable metal single atom and cluster catalysts
A nanocomposite catalyst includes a support, a multiplicity of nanoscale metal oxide clusters coupled to the support, and one or more metal atoms coupled to each of the nanoscale metal oxide clusters. Fabricating a nanocomposite catalyst includes forming nanoscale metal oxide clusters including a first metal on a support, and depositing one or more metal atoms including a second metal on the nanoscale metal oxide clusters. The nanocomposite catalyst is suitable for catalyzing reactions such as CO oxidation, water-gas-shift, reforming of CO 2 and methanol, and oxidation of natural gas.
1. A nanocomposite catalyst comprising:
a support;
a multiplicity of nanoscale metal oxide clusters coupled to the support; and
1-100 metal atoms coupled to each of the nanoscale metal oxide clusters,
wherein the support is negatively charged, the nanoscale metal oxide clusters are positively charged, the 1-100 metal atoms are negatively charged, and the support is free of direct contact with the 1-100 metal atoms.
2. The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a refractory material having a surface area of at least 50 m 2 /g or at least 100 m 2 /g.
3. The catalyst of claim 2 , wherein the support comprises silica, alumina, magnesia, zirconia, cordierite, mullite, perovskite or any combination thereof.
4. The catalyst of claim 2 , wherein the support is powdered.
5. The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the nanoscale metal oxide clusters comprise CeO 2 , Co 3 O 4 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , CuO, NiO, MnO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 or any combination thereof.
6. The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the 1-100 metal atoms independently comprise one or more transition metal atoms.
7. The catalyst of claim 6 , wherein the 1-100 metal atoms independently comprise one or more precious metal atoms.
8. The catalyst of claim 7 , wherein the 1-100 metal atoms comprise Pt, Pd, Rh, Au, Ru, Ir, or any combination thereof.
9. The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises SiO 2 and the metal oxide clusters comprise, CeO 2 , Co 3 O 4 , CuO, Fe 2 O 3 , or any combination thereof.
10. The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the nanoscale metal oxide clusters have a dimension in a range of 0.5 nm to 10 nm.
11. A method of catalyzing a reaction comprising contacting the nanocomposite catalyst of claim 1 with reactants, wherein the reaction comprises CO oxidation, water-gas-shift reaction, reforming of CO 2 and methanol, or oxidation of natural gas.
12. A method of fabricating a nanocomposite catalyst, the method comprising:
forming nanoscale metal oxide clusters comprising a first metal on a support; and
depositing 1-100 metal atoms comprising a second metal on the nanoscale metal oxide clusters,
wherein the support is free of direct contact with the second metal.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the nanoscale metal oxide clusters comprise CeO 2 , Co 3 O 4 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , CuO, NiO, MnO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , or any combination thereof.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the 1-100 metal atoms independently comprise one or more transition metal atoms.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the 1-100 metal atoms independently comprise one or more precious metal atoms.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the support comprises a refractory material having a surface area of at least 50 m 2 /g or at least 100 m 2 /g.