Upgrading the PtCu intermetallic compounds: The role of Pt and Cu in the alloy

Abstract

This work is devoted to the study of the role of both metals in the intermetallic PtCu/ γ AlO catalysts commonly employed in CO-PROX reaction. Therefore, monometallic Pt and Cu based catalysts and PtCu intermetallic compound with different molar ratios (PtCu and PtCu) supported catalysts were carefully synthesized and deeply characterized. Room temperature CO adsorptions by FTIR spectroscopy were carried out on the mono- and intermetallic catalysts being the monometallic catalyst determinant for the study. From the analysis of the nature of the platinum surface in Pt/ γ AlO, we have demonstrated that the role of Pt sites is based in the CO dissociation for the CO formation and also how the platinum surface is partially blocked by leftovers from the synthesis. Moreover, the study of the Cu/ γ AlO and the bimetallic catalysts PtCu/ γ AlO allowed elucidating the effect of the copper in the metallic site and support interphase as well as the role of copper in the hydrocarbon oxidation.