Discovery of a Robust Single‐Atom Ruthenium Emission Control Catalyst

Abstract

ABSTRACT Herein, we discover a robust emission control catalyst featuring Ru single‐atom sites even undergoing thermal oxidative aging at 850°C in a 10%H 2 O/10%O 2 /N 2 mixture gas stream, expecting to substitute the traditional Rh catalysts by cutting ∼73% of the total cost. The stability challenges in elevated‐temperature oxidizing environments were overcome via constructing the isolated Ru atoms anchored by square‐planar coordination with four lattice oxygen in ceria and suppressing Ru atom migration toward the single Ru─O x ─Ce catalytic centers by introducing the Zr‐rich materials, which are conducive to inhibiting the formation of undesirable N 2 O by‐products during catalytic NO reduction. More importantly, the challenge of low‐temperature C─H bond activation in short‐chain alkanes on the isolated single‐atom sites was broken through by constructing the CeZrO–Ru SA –CeO 2 three‐phase interfaces to promote the H‐spillover. The low‐cost Ru SA –CeO 2 /CZ single‐atom catalyst exhibited much better stability, lower selectivity of N 2 O and NH 3 by‐products, and higher activity for CO conversion under oxygen‐lean conditions compared to commercial Rh catalysts for automotive emission control applications. This work opens new avenues for developing the new generation of low‐cost, robust emission control catalysts in the future.