Trapping of Metal Atoms and Metal Clusters by Chabazite under Severe Redox Stress

The remarkable ability of Al-containing CHA zeolite to trap and stabilize noble single-metal atoms and metal clusters has facilitated the design of sinter-resistant materials for catalytic applications that require severe reaction conditions. At high temperatures in O2, volatile MOx species appear to be fixated by the zeolite Al centers to prevent Ostwald-ripening sintering mechanisms, whereas small metal clusters (<100 atoms) are stabilized in H2 without further aggregation as coalescence by Brownian motion is inhibited because of an encapsulation effect. Evidences of the possibility to trap the metal released from a second adjacent surface (e.g., SiO2 and Al2O3), upon metal migration over micrometer distances, are provided. These properties have opened the possibility to prepare several noble-metal atoms and clusters inside small-pore zeolites, including bimetallic formulation, by simple wetness impregnations or solid-to-solid transformations followed by standard calcination procedures, resulting in improved catalytic performances compared to other nonreducible supports in reactions that subject the catalysts to severe redox stress, such as the water–gas-shift reaction.