Enhancing Water-Gas Shift Reaction Activity through Shape Control and Vanadium Doping of Pt-Loaded TiO2 Catalysts

Abstract

We increased the reactivity of Pt-loaded TiO2 catalysts for the water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) by inducing the TiO2 support to form nanotubes, and by doping it with vanadium (V). To understand the reaction mechanisms and the factors contributing to the increased catalytic activity, we used in-situ DRIFTS, XPS, pulsed reaction, and isotopic exchange experiments. The Pt-loaded V-doped tube-shaped TiO2 catalyst exhibited a significantly elevated WGSR activity; this result can be attributed to the catalyst’s increased surface area, higher dispersion of loaded metal, and H2O-dissociation ability. This study suggests that the modified Pt-loaded TiO2 catalysts have significant potential for use in the WGSR process, and that the combination of TiO2 shape control and V-doping can lead to improved catalytic activity. It also provides a method to directly elucidate the impact of active factors on catalysts by systemic mechanism studies.