Pt₃Co Octapods as Superior Catalysts of CO₂ Hydrogenation

Abstract

Abstract As the electron transfer to CO 2 is a critical step in the activation of CO 2 , it is of significant importance to engineer the electronic properties of CO 2 hydrogenation catalysts to enhance their activity. Herein, we prepared Pt 3 Co nanocrystals with improved catalytic performance towards CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol. Pt 3 Co octapods, Pt 3 Co nanocubes, Pt octapods, and Pt nanocubes were tested, and the Pt 3 Co octapods achieved the best catalytic activity. Both the presence of multiple sharp tips and charge transfer between Pt and Co enabled the accumulation of negative charges on the Pt atoms in the vertices of the Pt 3 Co octapods. Moreover, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the high negative charge density at the Pt atoms in the vertices of the Pt 3 Co octapods promotes the activation of CO 2 and accordingly enhances the catalytic activity.