High-Temperature Synthesis of Carbon-Supported Bimetallic Nanocluster Catalysts by Enlarging the Interparticle Distance.

Supported bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts with small size have attracted wide research attention in catalysis but are difficult to synthesize because high-temperature annealing required for alloying inevitably accelerates metal sintering and leads to larger particles. Here, we report a simple and scalable "critical interparticle distance" method for the synthesis of a family of bimetallic nanocluster catalysts with an average particle size of only 1.5 nm by using large-surface-area carbon black supports at high temperatures, which consist of 12 diverse combinations of 3 noble metals (Pt, Ru, and Rh) and 4 other metals (Cr, Fe, Zr, and Sn). In this strategy, high-temperature treatments ensure the formation of alloyed bimetallic nanoparticles and enlargement of the interparticle distance on high-surface-area supports significantly suppresses metal sintering. The prepared ultrafine Pt 2 Sn and RuSn nanocluster catalysts exhibited enhanced performance in catalyzing the synthesis of aromatic secondary amines and the selective hydrogenation of furfural, respectively.