Tailoring Bimetallic Pt–Cu Trace Doping on Composite Spinel for Enhanced Low‐Temperature Hydrogen Catalytic Combustion Performance

Considering the explosive characteristics of hydrogen and the importance of preventing leakage, achieving controlled low‐temperature combustion ensures both environmental safety and operational stability. Low‐temperature catalytic combustion provides an effective solution to reduce hazardous pollutant formation during the hydrogen reaction. In this article, a spinel‐based catalyst modified by partial substitution with transition metals (M) is prepared and doped with bimetallic Pt:Cu to enhance hydrogen catalytic combustion. The doped composite spinel Co 1‐x M x Al 2 O 4 catalyst, where M represents Fe, Ti, and Mn, is synthesized using wet impregnation followed by a polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐assisted sol–gel doping method to obtain a PtCu/Co 0.8 Fe 0.2 Al 2 O 4 catalyst. Combining performance testing and material characterization, Fe‐modified spinel exhibited a larger specific surface area of 31.63 m 2 /g compared to 30.46 m 2 /g, lowered activation energy from 57.8 to 46.9 kJ/mol, achieving a T 90 at 349°C compared to 374.3°C for original CoAl 2 O 4 . Meanwhile, the bimetallic Pt 1%‐Cu 4%/Co 0.8 Fe 0.2 Al 2 O 4 catalyst exhibits excellent activity with T 50 at 37.07°C and T 90 at 43.34°C, attributed to a minimum activation energy of 32 kJ/mol. The synergistic effect at 4% and 5% Cu loadings is supported by high metal dispersion and structural stability of the Fe‐modified spinel matrix, enabling room‐temperature combustion initiation. This enhanced catalytic activity results from strong Pt–Cu bimetallic interactions, promoting efficient hydrogen dissociation while increasing oxygen vacancy formation and lattice oxygen mobility, as revealed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature‐programed reduction, and thermogravimetric analysis. Overall, the enhanced low‐temperature hydrogen combustion performance is comparable to standard precious metal catalysts, referencing the multimetallic effect on fuel utilization efficiency.