Nanoscale Three-phase Electrochemical Pathway to Promote Pt-catalyzed Formaldehyde Oxidation

The Cui group has designed a new method for heterogeneous catalytic reactions with a gaseous reactant. By encircling the catalyst in a thin layer of liquid electrolyte, reactions like formaldehyde oxidation are no longer constrained by surface adsorption but instead proceed through an electrochemical pathway. This three-phase system consists of a certain catalyst coated on a nanostructured polyethylene (nano-PE) film, NaOH electrolyte, and reactant gas. The nano-PE film both behaves as a solid support for the catalyst and its porous nature helps diffuse gas towards the reactive site, an issue fully submerged catalysts face. When tested with formaldehyde oxidation, this three-phase system showed a 25,000-time improvement in turn over frequency for Pt vs conventional heterogeneous catalysts. The low cost of materials and established manufacturing processes make this catalytic system commercially attractive.

Stage of Research