Coordinatively unsaturated metal atoms with confined nano-structures are active sites of various enzymatic and homogeneous catalytic reactions. Realization of the controllable preparation of highly efficient and stable enzyme-like active sites on heterogeneous catalysts is a great challenge in basic research of catalysis.

Recently, in the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, FU Qiang, MA Ding and BAO Xinhe of the research group of Nano & Boundary Catalysis, in collaboration with LI Weixue and co-workers of the Theoretical Catalysis group, have realized the generation of a kind of coordinatively unsaturated ferrous sites (CUF sites), which were formed via the boundary confinement effect produced by the strong interaction between noble metal surfaces and ferrous atoms in mono-layer films.

Results from theoretical density functional analysis have helped the designing of the CUF sites. Under the synergistic action of the CUF sites and metallic supports, highly unique catalytic activities were exhibited for low temperature activation of oxygen molecules. Thus, by applying this approach to the selective oxidation of CO in the presence of rich hydrogen (CO PROX) under real operating conditions of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFC), CO could be removed with high efficiency.

These results were published in the Science journal appeared recently (Science 2010, 328, 1141). This achievement was also reported by the C&E News in America and the Chemistry World in Britain.

Image by DCIP