First demonstration of in situ electrochemical control of the composition and performance of an alloy catalyst during reaction

WILLIAMS, F J; PALERMO, A; HOLGADO, J P; LAMBERT, R M

JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2002 vol. 210 p. 237 - 240

0021-9517

Interfacing a Pb2+ conducting solid electrolyte with a thin-film Pt catalyst permits in situ electrochemical control of surface composi- tion and catalytic performance of the resulting bimetallic catalyst. Transport of Pb between the solid electrolyte and the Pt film pro- vides a controlled, reversible, and reproducible way of altering the surface composition of the Pt/Pb-alloy surface. Large increases in acetylene partial hydrogenation selectivity may thus be achieved from 20% with pure Pt to 85% with a ∼26% Pb-alloy surface. This is the first demonstration that the surface composition and catalytic performance of bimetallic-alloy catalysts can be electrochemically controlled under working conditions.