A strategy for fast and facile embedding platinum nanoparticles in silicalite‑1 crystallites with a stable and catalytic active structure

Abstract A strategy for embedding ultrasmall Pt nanoparticles in silicalite-1 (S-1) was proposed. It consists of treating the zeolite with tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) solution, loading Pt, and recrystallizing the resultant composite in a silicon-containing Na+-free TPAOH solution at 170 °C for 6 h. Complementary characterizations confirm that, the first step is facile and effective for creating plenty of mesopores in the zeolite, and the last step is fast and favorable for embedding ultrasmall Pt nanoparticles in S-1 yielding the Pt@S-1 hybrid. This material displayed excellent resistance to sintering and much higher activity for ethylene hydrogenation and CO oxidation than conventional Pt-loading catalyst.