Construction of Electron-Enriched Ptδ+ with Reactive Oxygen Species for Enhanced Propane Catalytic Combustion

The complete catalytic oxidation of propane (C3H8) at low temperatures remains challenging due to the competitive adsorption between the oxidation of the O2 and C3H8 molecules. In this study, we propose an innovative approach to enhance C3H8 oxidation by strategically designing active Ptδ+ sites with modulated electronic structures on F-doped TiO2-supported Pt catalyst (Pt/F-TiO2), which exhibits 50 and 90% of propane conversion at 200 and 320 °C. Our mechanistic study reveals that the electron coupling between Pt 5d and F 2p alters the d orbital electron property, which leads to generation of abundant efficient electron-enriched Ptδ+ species. These new Ptδ+ sites facilitate the adsorption of C3H8 and promote the activation of chemisorbed O2 into superoxide species, in the form of bridge Pt-(O–O)ad-Ti, which synergistically facilitates the methyl C–H cleavage in C3H8. This study presents the strategy for electronic structure engineering of active sites in Pt-based catalysts, paving the way for the development of high-performance catalysts for propane oxidation.