Engineering Highly Active PtMo Bimetallic Catalyst for Low-temperature Reverse Water Gas Shift

Reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction is a promising route for CO2 utilization, providing a versatile syngas component for downstream process such as methanol synthesis and Fischer-Tropsch chemistry. Low-temperature (< 400 oC) RWGS offers reduced energy demand and enables process intensification, yet remains highly challenging. Herein, we report a PtMo@SiO₂ catalyst, synthesized via Surface Organometallic Chemistry (SOMC), that achieves near-equilibrium CO₂ conversion at 300 °C (GHSV = 60000 mL gcat⁻¹ h⁻¹, 1 bar). The catalyst exhibits CO formation rates over two orders of magnitude higher than Pt@SiO₂ at 200 °C and ca. 30-fold higher at 300 °C. Spectroscopic studies, including CO/CO₂-IR, in situ XAS, gas switching and CO-TPD DRIFTS, reveal that partially reduced Mo(IV) interfacial sites on silica promote CO₂ activation, while Mo(0) in PtMo alloys facilitates CO desorption, jointly enhancing Low-temperature RWGS performance.