The precise decoration of Pt nanoparticles with Fe oxide by atomic layer deposition for the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde

•The low coordinated Pt sites are blocked precisely by ALD Fe oxides.•The formed interfacial perimeter sites are more beneficial to the hydrogenation of CO bond.•After decoration, the selectivity to cinnamyl alcohol increased from 45% to 84%.•The characteristic of precise decoration by ALD is hard to achieve by traditional methods.

The decoration of noble metal-based catalysts with metal oxides can improve their catalytic performance for the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol (COL) due to the interaction between the noble metal and metal oxides. Here, we used atomic layer deposition (ALD) to decorate Pt nanoparticles precisely with Fe oxides. The selectivity to COL increased from 45% for the bare Pt catalyst to 84% for the Pt-based catalyst after 30 cycles of decoration with Fe oxide by ALD. A series of characterizations demonstrated that the precise blocking of low coordinated Pt sites with Fe oxide by ALD, generating Pt-FeOx interfacial perimeter sites, and the interaction between the Pt nanoparticles and Fe oxide led to high selectivity to COL. This precise decoration and the formation of interfacial perimeter sites by ALD provide a promising route for the design of advanced catalysts.

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