Interfacial compatibility critically controls Ru/TiO<sub>2</sub> metal-support interaction modes in CO<sub>2</sub> hydrogenation.

Zhou, Jun; Gao, Zhe; Xiang, Guolei; Zhai, Tianyu; Liu, Zikai; Zhao, Weixin; Liang, Xin; Wang, Leyu · Nat Commun · 2022

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Supports can widely affect or even dominate the catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability of metal nanoparticles through various metal-support interactions (MSIs). However, underlying principles have not been fully understood yet, because MSIs are influenced by the composition, size, and facet of both metals and supports. Using Ru/TiO<sub>2</sub> supported on rutile and anatase as model catalysts, we demonstrate that metal-support interfacial compatibility can critically control MSI modes and catalytic performances in CO<sub>2</sub> hydrogenation. Annealing Ru/rutile-TiO<sub>2</sub> in air can enhance CO<sub>2</sub> conversion to methane resulting from enhanced interfacial coupling driven by matched lattices of RuO<sub>x</sub> with rutile-TiO<sub>2</sub>; annealing Ru/anatase-TiO<sub>2</sub> in air decreases CO<sub>2</sub> conversion and converts the product into CO owing to strong metal-support interaction (SMSI). Although rutile and anatase share the same chemical composition, we show that interfacial compatibility can basically modify metal-support coupling strength, catalyst morphology, surface atomic configuration, MSI mode, and catalytic performances of Ru/TiO<sub>2</sub> in heterogeneous catalysis.