Selective Hydrogenation of Croton Aldehyde on Pt Nanoparticles Controlled by Tailoring Fraction of Well-Ordered Facets Under Different Pretreatment Conditions

This study focuses on the influence of pretreatment conditions and surface structures of well-tuned Pt nanoparticles on the selective hydrogenation of α-β unsaturated crotonaldehyde. The surface binding site preferences of the reactant during catalytic conversions are strongly influenced by the configuration of the nanoparticles’ surface fraction exposed. Since the orientation of the well-ordered surfaces are significantly affected by the pretreatment conditions, we have attempted to obtain relationships between morphology changes and catalytic activity by controlling the fraction of facets with ordered structures. Pt nanoparticles exhibit different types of exposed surfaces, namely Cubic (Cub) (100) and Cuboctahedra (CubOc) (111) + (100). These different surface structures play a crucial role in the preferential hydrogenation of the model molecule. Additionally, we investigated the impact of the pretreatment condition on the catalytic selectivity of the well-shaped nanoparticles. We employed various techniques such as high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and room temperature carbon monoxide adsorption Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (RT-CO-FTIR) to determine the reconstructions of the particles under different pretreatment conditions. The results indicate that both the well-ordered surface fraction and pretreatment conditions of Pt nanoparticles had a moderate influence on both catalytic activity and selectivity. Overall, this study highlights the importance of analyzing the surface morphology and pretreatment conditions of nanoparticles in order to optimize catalytic activity and selectivity in reactions involving well-tuned surface structures. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.).