Rational Design of Highly Efficient PdIn-In 2 O 3 Interfaces through Capture-alloying Strategy for Benzyl Alcohol Partial Oxidation

Well-dispersed PdIn bimetallic alloy nanoparticles (1～4 nm) were immobilized on mesostructured silica through an in situ capture-alloying strategy and PdIn-In 2 O 3 interfaces were rationally constructed by changing the In 2 O 3 loading and varying the reduction temperature. The catalytic performance for benzyl alcohol partial oxidation was evaluated and a catalytic synergy was observed. The Pd-rich PdIn-In 2 O 3 interface is prone to formation on the catalyst with a low In 2 O 3 loading after reduced at 300 o C. It was demonstrated that the Pd-rich PdIn-In 2 O 3 interface is more active for benzyl alcohol partial oxidation than In-rich Pd 2 In 3 species which is likely to be formed at a high reduction temperature (400 o C). The high catalytic activity on Pd-rich PdIn-In 2 O 3 interface was attributed to the exposure of more Pd-enriched active sites and an optimized PdIn-In 2 O 3 /Pd assemble ratio enhanced the oxygen transfer during the partial oxidation. The DFT calculation confirmed that the Pd-rich Pd 3 In 1 (111)-In 2 O 3 interface facilitated the activation of oxygen molecules, resulting in a high catalytic activity.