Self‐Stabilized Heterometallic Pair Sites for Selective Ethanol Dehydrogenation on Pt–Cr–Ag Alloy Catalysts

J Jason F. Weaver (Department of Chemical Engineering University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA) S Shuting Xiang (Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering) J Jovenal Jamir (Department of Chemical Engineering University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA) U Ulrike Küst L Lisa Rämisch (Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research) A Andrea Grespi (Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research and NanoLund Department of Physics Lund University Lund SE‐22100 Sweden) H Harald Wallander (Materials Science and Applied Mathematics) J Johan Zetterberg (Division of Combustion Physics) S Steven Arias (Center for Functional Nanomaterials Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton New York 11973 USA) E Esteban L. Fornero (Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) y CONICET Güemes 3450 Santa Fe 3000 Argentina) P Prahlad K. Routh (Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering) S Shengjie Zhang (Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics) J John S. Miller (Materials Science Division Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 7000 East Ave Livermore CA 94550 USA) R Rajeev Kumar Rai (Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA) E Eric A. Stach (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States) J J. Anibal Boscoboinik M Matthew M. Montemore (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) E E. Charles H. Sykes (Department of Chemistry Tufts University Medford MA 02155 USA) J Jan Knudsen J Jürgen Biener (Materials Science Division Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 7000 East Ave Livermore CA 94550 USA) L Lindsay R. Merte (Materials Science and Applied Mathematics) A Anatoly I. Frenkel (Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering)

Abstract

Abstract Self‐stabilized, heterometallic pair‐sites can enable fine‐tuning of catalytic functionality while also mitigating dynamic structural changes that degrade catalytic performance. This study demonstrates the development and characterization of trimetallic Pt x Cr x Ag 1‐2x ( x ≤ 0.1) alloys with active Pt–Cr pair‐ensembles for non‐oxidative ethanol dehydrogenation, leveraging predictions that favorable bonding stabilizes Pt–Cr pairs diluted in Ag. Operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy confirms the preferential formation and stability of Pt–Cr pairings dispersed throughout the Ag matrix, and ambient‐pressure X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that Pt–Cr sites have significant activity for ethanol dehydrogenation, while suppressing reaction processes that deactivate binary Pt–Ag and Cr–Ag alloys. This work demonstrates that stabilizing heterometallic pair sites within trimetallic alloys provides a new avenue for designing catalysts with discrete active sites that are durable and highly selective.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 64, Issue 49
Published December 01, 2025
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (22)

J

Jason F. Weaver

Department of Chemical Engineering University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA

S

Shuting Xiang

Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering

J

Jovenal Jamir

Department of Chemical Engineering University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA

U

Ulrike Küst

L

Lisa Rämisch

Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research

A

Andrea Grespi

Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research and NanoLund Department of Physics Lund University Lund SE‐22100 Sweden

H

Harald Wallander

Materials Science and Applied Mathematics

J

Johan Zetterberg

Division of Combustion Physics

S

Steven Arias

Center for Functional Nanomaterials Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton New York 11973 USA

E

Esteban L. Fornero

Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) y CONICET Güemes 3450 Santa Fe 3000 Argentina

P

Prahlad K. Routh

Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering

S

Shengjie Zhang

Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics

J

John S. Miller

Materials Science Division Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 7000 East Ave Livermore CA 94550 USA

R

Rajeev Kumar Rai

Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA

E

Eric A. Stach

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States

J

J. Anibal Boscoboinik

M

Matthew M. Montemore

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

E

E. Charles H. Sykes

Department of Chemistry Tufts University Medford MA 02155 USA

J

Jan Knudsen

J

Jürgen Biener

Materials Science Division Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 7000 East Ave Livermore CA 94550 USA

L

Lindsay R. Merte

Materials Science and Applied Mathematics

A

Anatoly I. Frenkel

Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering