Hydrogen spillover on Pt/WO3 promoted low-temperature catalytic exchange of hydrogen isotopes

Abstract

The catalytic exchange of hydrogen isotopes is crucial for eliminating heavy hydrogen isotopes in nuclear wastewater. However, high platinum (Pt) loading and unsatisfied intrinsic activity at low temperatures hinder the commercial viability of catalysts. Herein, we develop a tungsten oxide loading Pt (Pt/WO₃) catalyst to sufficiently utilize activated hydrogen (H) atoms over Pt active sites through hydrogen spillover. The turnover frequency of the as-prepared catalyst reaches an unprecedented level at near room temperature. Combining ex- and in-situ characterizations, we demonstrate that hydrogen spillover between Pt and WO₃ promotes the reaction by spontaneously migrating activated H atoms to WO₃, forming hydroxyl groups, and releasing Pt sites. These hydroxyl groups directly participate in the exchange reaction and indirectly regulate the electronic structure of Pt sites, significantly facilitating catalytic activity at low Pt loading. This work provides a novel support-assisted reaction mechanism for low-temperature catalytic exchange of hydrogen isotopes.