Precise regulation of the wettability of Pt/CNTs by atomic layer deposition-based ozone pulse strategy for enhanced catalytic hydrogenation performance in aqueous phase

The wettability of heterogeneous catalysts plays a crucial role in their performance. Developing heterogeneous catalysts with tunable wettability to optimize catalytic performances is highly desired. However, it remains challenging to precisely regulate the wettability of the catalyst for the design and development of high-performance catalysts. Here, we introduce a facile atomic layer deposition-based ozone pulse (ALD-O₃ pulse) strategy to tailor the surface wettability of Pt/CNTs. The contact angle of the catalyst can be precisely regulated by controlling the ALD-O₃ pulse cycle numbers. For the hydrogenation reaction of 4-nitrophenol, catalysts with ALD-O₃ pulse treatment enhanced the catalytic activities with respect to their untreated counterpart. The turnover frequency of the optimized sample (200O₃–Pt/CNTs) is more than twice the value of the untreated Pt/CNTs. Detailed analyses reveal that the appropriate wettability of 200O₃–Pt/CNTs facilitates a balanced supply of 4-nitrophenol and hydrogen molecules to Pt sites, thus enhancing the catalytic activity. The ALD-O₃ pulse strategy is generalizable and can be applied to many other heterogeneous reactions.