Quantitative Analysis of the Interface between Titanium Dioxide Support and Noble Metal by Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

The interface structure of supported catalysts plays a significant role in the strong metal-support interactions (SMSI). However, it remains limited on interpreting interface structures, thus affecting the understanding of SMSI origin and impact on catalytic performance. Herein, electronic energy loss spectroscopy was adopted to characterize the interface microstructures of Pt/TiO2 materials. After high-temperature reduction processing, it was observed that the coating on the surface of the Pt metal particles was TiOx. Then, based on Gaussian function fitting, an effective and valid method was established for quantitative analysis on Ti L edge loss spectrum. This method allowed us to accurately determine the stoichiometric number of TiOx phases. In order to probe the classical phenomenon of strong metal-support interactions in more detail, we also discussed and analyzed the origin of TiOx and its effect on the electronic structure of the material using density functional theory calculations. The structure of surfaces and interfaces as well as the chemical evolution of supported catalysts on a microscale have been revealed, thereby providing a new analysis method and research perspectives for the future study of metal-support interactions.