Stabilization of supported platinum nanoparticles on γ-alumina catalysts by addition of tungsten

The thermal stabilization of Al2O3 using W6+ ions has been found useful to the synthesis of Pt/Al2O3 catalysts. The simultaneous and sequential methods were used to study the effect of W6+ upon Pt/gamma-Al2O3 reducibility, Pt dispersion, and benzene hydrogenation. The W/Pt atomic ratios were from 0.49 to 12.4. In the first method we found that the W6+ ions delayed reduction of a fraction of pt(4+) atoms beyond 773 K. At the same time, W6+ inhibited sintering of the metallic crystallites once they were formed on the surface. For the sequential sample with a W/Pt atomic ratio of 3.28 W6+ did not inhibit the H-2 reduction of Pt oxides even below of 773 K, the Pt oxides were reduced completely. After reduction at 1073 K, sequential samples impregnating Pt on WOx-gamma-Al2O3 were more active and stable during benzene hydrogenation. TOF of the reaction did not change when the W/Pt atomic ratio, preparation technique and reduction temperature changed and its value was of 1.1 s(-1). W6+ ions promoted high thermal stability of Pt crystallites when sequential catalysts were reduced at 1073 K and decreased their Lewis acidity. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.