Rapid synthesis of single-atom Pt co-catalyst under containerless acoustic levitation state

Abstract

An acoustic levitation method is employed to assist single-atom platinum dispersion on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). It simulates a space containerless environment through the nonlinear effect of high-intensity acoustic waves. We evaluate the hydrogen production performance of the prepared samples under visible light. The Pt co-catalysts prepared under acoustic levitation state exist as both single atoms and nanoparticles, with overall performance outperforming those composed entirely of nanoparticles. This physically assisted acoustic levitation method can be applied to the preparation of other types of single atoms to enable more catalytic-related research. Moreover, it can promote the development of more interdisciplinary fields in physical chemistry. Our work provides an interesting and facile approach for the rapid synthesis of single-atom noble metal co-catalysts.