Catalytic Dehydrogenation Enhanced by Controlling Platinum Nanoparticle Density.

Enhancing the catalytic activity of supported nanoparticles has traditionally relied on optimizing the nanoparticle size and electronic state. We found that optimizing nanoparticle density, while maintaining similar particle sizes and electronic states, could enhance intrinsic catalytic activity. In the catalytic dehydrogenation of cyclohexane, tuning the Pt nanoparticle density leads to a 9.6-fold increase in Pt efficiency, achieving a benzene formation rate of 24,217 molC6H6 molPt-1 h-1, which outperforms previous catalysts. The nanoparticle density-optimized catalyst remained durable during a continuous test for 800 h.