Tailoring Pt–Fe2O3 Interfaces for Selective Reductive Coupling Reaction To Synthesize Imine

The tailoring of the metal–metal oxide interface has emerged as an effective method to improve the catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we report on the synthesis of a catalyst with a Pt–Fe3+–OH interface based on a Fe2O3–Pt core–shell structure by atomic layer deposition. This tandem catalyst shows remarkably high catalytic efficiency and selectivity (>89%) of imine for the reductive coupling of nitrobenzene and furfural. The Pt–Fe3+–OH interface sites weaken the Pt–H bond and suppress the further hydrogenation of imine to amine. In contrast, the monometallic Pt catalyst shows a strong Pt–H interaction and dominant formation of amine. Further comparison revealed that the Fe2O3–Pt core–shell structure exhibited a higher TOF in the generation of imine and a better utilization of Pt than the Pt–Fe2O3 core–shell structure.