Ultrafast Encapsulation of Bimetallic Nanoclusters into Zeolites: Linking Structural Features to Catalytic Performance

Encapsulating bimetallic nanoclusters within zeolites integrates the benefits of the porous host with the distinctive geometric and electronic structures of the metal sites. However, achieving precise encapsulation of bimetallic nanoclusters within the nanospace of zeolites while simultaneously tuning their structural features remains a significant challenge. Here, we present a universal methodology that enables the ultrafast, in situ encapsulation of various bimetallic nanoclusters during the rapid zeolite crystallization in minutes. The resulting metal-zeolite composites exhibit unique structural characteristics and tunable interactions within the encapsulated bimetallic nanoclusters. By optimizing their compositions, the zeolite encapsulated with Pt-Ni bimetallic nanoclusters demonstrates exceptional activity and stability in the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide, while the Pt-Zn encapsulated counterpart exhibits outstanding performance in propane dehydrogenation. This comprehensive synthesis-structure-activity study highlights ultrafast encapsulation as a versatile strategy for fabricating bimetallic-nanocluster-encapsulated zeolites with distinctive structural attributes and enhanced catalytic performance that hold great potential for practical applications.