Construction of a uniform Pt-Bi2O3 interface to enhance selective oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone

Uniform catalytic active sites are crucial for both fundamental studies and practical applications. In this study, a Bi2O3-coated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite (Bi2O3-CNTs) was employed as a support to immobilize Pt catalysts using both atomic layer deposition (ALD) and impregnation methods. The geometric and electronic properties of the catalysts, along with their performance in the base-free oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone (DHA), were comparatively investigated. The results indicate that the ALD-prepared catalyst significantly outperforms the impregnation-prepared one in terms of catalytic activity and DHA yield. Characterization of the catalysts reveals that the superior performance of the ALD-prepared catalyst is attributed to the uniform Pt- Bi2O3 interface and the positively charged Pt species. Furthermore, tuning the geometric and electronic properties of ALD-prepared Pt catalysts leads to the development of a catalyst featuring a relatively abundant Pt-Bi2O3 interface and electron-deficient Pt, resulting in enhanced catalytic performance. These findings may offer valuable guidance for developing and optimizing Pt-based catalysts for the selective oxidation of glycerol to DHA.