Efficient catalytic combustion of toluene at low temperature by tailoring surficial Pt and interfacial Pt-Al(OH) species.

Exploring highly efficient and low-cost supported Pt catalysts is attractive for the application of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) combustion. Herein, efficient catalytic combustion of toluene at low temperature over Pt/γ-AlO catalysts has been demonstrated by tailoring active Pt species spatially. Pt/γ-AlO catalyst with low Pt-content (0.26 wt%) containing both interfacial Pt-Al(OH) and surficial metallic Pt (Pt) species exhibited super activity and water-resistant stability for toluene oxidation. The strong metal-support interaction located at the Al-OH-Pt interfaces elongated the Pt-O bond and contributed to the oxidation of toluene. Meanwhile, the OH group at the Al-OH-Pt interfaces had the strongest adsorption and activation capability for toluene and the derived intermediate species were subsequently oxidized by oxygen species activated by surficial Pt to yield carbon dioxide and water. This work initiated an inspiring sight to the design of active Pt species for the VOCs combustion.