Quantitative Analysis of the Interface between Titanium Dioxide Support and Noble Metal by Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

The interface structure of supported catalysts plays
a significant
role in the strong metal–support interactions (SMSI). However,
it remains limited on interpreting interface structures, thus affecting
the understanding of SMSI origin and impact on catalytic performance.
Herein, electronic energy loss spectroscopy was adopted to characterize
the interface microstructures of Pt/TiO2 materials. After
high-temperature reduction processing, it was observed that the coating
on the surface of the Pt metal particles was TiOx. Then, based on Gaussian function fitting, an effective and
valid method was established for quantitative analysis on Ti L edge
loss spectrum. This method allowed us to accurately determine the
stoichiometric number of TiOx phases.
In order to probe the classical phenomenon of strong metal–support
interactions in more detail, we also discussed and analyzed the origin
of TiOx and its effect on the electronic
structure of the material using density functional theory calculations.
The structure of surfaces and interfaces as well as the chemical evolution
of supported catalysts on a microscale have been revealed, thereby
providing a new analysis method and research perspectives for the
future study of metal–support interactions.