Strong Metal–Support Interaction Induced Dual Active Sites in Pt–Co Catalysts Supported on ZIF-8-Derived Porous Carbon for Formaldehyde Oxidation

A Pt-Co catalyst supported on ZIF-8-derived porous carbon (Pt-Co/Z-HP) with strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) was developed for efficient room-temperature formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation. The catalyst exhibited highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles, abundant surface hydroxyl groups, and a defect-rich nitrogen-doped carbon matrix. These features promote Pt stabilization, oxygen activation, and intermediate conversion, achieving nearly 100% HCHO removal and CO₂ selectivity under ambient conditions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further revealed that plasma-induced -OH species regulate the surface coverage of active hydroxyls, maintaining a balance between O₂ activation and HCHO adsorption. Moreover, comparative models of isolated Co and Pt clusters (Co_np-Pt_np-NC) and Pt-Co alloy clusters (CoPt_np-NC) demonstrate that the alloy structure achieves lower reaction barriers for both O₂ dissociation and HCHO oxidation via synergistic dual-site cooperation. These findings highlight that appropriate -OH coverage and Pt-Co electronic synergy are critical for enhancing catalytic performance. This work provides a low-energy approach for designing advanced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) oxidation catalysts via tailored SMSI.