Intermetallic Pd–Sn Nanoparticles on Supports with High Metal Loading Facilitated by the Metal–Metal Bond for High-Performance Cooperative Catalysis

Atomically monodispersed intermetallic catalysts comprising highly accessible active sites are ideal heterogeneous catalytic materials. Designing such types of nanocatalysts on carbonaceous supports with high loading, however, remains a formidable challenge. Demonstrated herein is an effective synthetic strategy to produce highly dispersed intermetallic Pd-Sn nanoparticles on various supports with high catalyst loading (upto 24 wt % Pd and 18 wt % Sn) using a discrete bimetallic Pd-Sn complex, which in turn is highly superior as compared to conventionally used methods using individual metal salts. Synergistic cooperative interaction between sub-5 nm Pd-rich particles, supports, and large intermetallic Pd-Sn particles allowed their electronic cross-talk, displaying a much higher reaction efficiency with an entirely different selectivity toward a product, which is highly unlikely in the case of comparable individual components or sequentially impregnated bimetallic materials involving in a catalytic/photocatalytic dehydrogenation, hydrogenation, tandem (de)hydrogenation, and amidation reaction. The designed synthetic strategy has the potential to contribute to the development of atomically monodispersed intermetallic high-loading functional materials for advanced electro- and photocatalytic applications.