Pt and Pt/Sn carbonyl clusters as precursors for the synthesis of supported metal catalysts for the base-free oxidation of HMF

In the present work, Pt and Pt/Sn nanoparticles (NPs), synthesized from carbonyl cluster precursors were deposited on TiO2 and the resulting materials were tested as catalysts in selective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The work was mainly focused on the study of the formation of bimetallic or mixed oxide-metal nanoparticles on TiO2 starting with Pt/Sn carbonyl clusters and on the structure-activity relationship in the reaction of HMF oxidation in base-free conditions. The developed synthesis procedure allowed to obtain very small mono and bimetallic particles characterized by a narrow particle size distribution. Promising results in base-free FDCA production have been achieved using the prepared samples. In particular, the introduction of Sn in an equimolar amount with Pt improved the catalyst activity as well as its time stability upon operation, demonstrating that the modification of Pt electronic configuration by Sn is a key factor for the mastering of functional performances