Synergy in Sn-Mn oxide boosting the hydrogenation catalysis of supported Pt nanoparticles for selective conversion of levulinic acid

Abstract The synergistic effect in a bimetallic oxide usually plays a vital role in determining the behavior of supported-metal catalysts. We show the unique synergy in a SnxMn1Oy oxide, which can boost the hydrogenation catalysis of supported Pt nanoparticles for selective conversion of levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL). On a series of Pt/SnxMn1Oy catalysts with a similar Pt loading (ca. 0.44 wt.%) and a controlled Pt size (ca. 2.7 nm), the intrinsic TOF presents a volcano-like dependence on Pt0 sites and Lewis acidity, which is determined by the variable synergistic effect between MnOy and SnOy. The optimal Pt/Sn0.8Mn1Oy catalyst exhibits a high iTOF of 2709 h−1 and achieves 100% selectivity to GVL at 99% conversion of LA at 120 ℃ and 2 MPa of H2. DFT calculations demonstrate that the incorporation of Sn can provide a lower energy barrier for the crucial elementary reactions.