The synergy between atomically dispersed Pd and cerium oxide for enhanced catalytic properties†
Abstract
We report a photochemical synthesis of Pd/CeO2 catalysts with atomically dispersed Pd. Compared to atomically dispersed Pd/CeO2 with a cubic CeO2 support (Pd/CeO2-CP), atomically dispersed Pd/CeO2 with a truncated octahedral CeO2 support (Pd/CeO2-TOP) exhibited higher activity and selectivity, owing to the synergy between Pd atoms and the (111) surface of CeO2. When compared to Pd/CeO2 with Pd clusters and nanoparticles via chemical reduction, Pd/CeO2-TOP showed excellent activity with an enhancement factor of 324 in CO oxidation, as well as an activity enhancement by a factor of 344 in selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol.