H2-induced structural ductility in Pt/Al2O3 catalysts: gas-phase vs. liquid phase conditions

The goal of this proposal is to study the H2-induced reconstruction of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) in Pt/Al2O3 catalysts by time-resolved XRD/PDF experiments under gas- and liquid-phase conditions. Previous multi-technique gas-phase experiments pointed to morphology changes of the Pt NPs as a function of H-coverage. The behavior in liquid-phase conditions is less explored, although preliminary ATR-IR measurements indicate that the solvent plays a relevant role. Here, we want to extend the comparison between gas-phase and liquid-phase conditions to cover the structural dynamics of Pt NPs a) during Pt-hydride formation; b) as a function of the H-coverage, and c) during the hydrogenation of toluene as a model reaction. The results will highlight the behavior of supported Pt NPs in the presence of H2 in conditions widely applicable to the catalytic production of chemicals and energy.