Catalyst support effects on hydrogen spillover

W. Karim, C. Spreafico, A. Kleibert, J. Gobrecht, J. VandeVondele, Y. Ekinci & Jeroen A. van Bokhoven

The group of professor van Bokhoven proved experimentally and theoretically the dramatic differences in the extent of hydrogen spillover highly affected by catalyst support.  They placed multiple pairs of iron oxide and platinum nanoparticles on titanium oxide and aluminium oxide supports. They observed fast hydrogen spillover on titanium oxide that reduces remote iron oxide nanoparticles via coupled proton–electron transfer. In contrast, spillover on aluminium oxide mediated by three-coordinated aluminium centres  results in hydrogen spillover about ten orders of magnitude slower than on titanium oxide and restricted to very short distances from the platinum particle.

Nature, 541, 68–71 (05 January 2017)
Reproduced with permission
DOI:10.1038/nature20782