Bimetallic Supported Catalysts from Single-source Precursors - Atomically-Precise Methods for Synthesis of Solid Catalysts - page 55

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CHAPTER 3
Bimetallic Supported
Catalysts from Single-source
Precursors

SOPHIE HERMANS

Universit´ catholique de Louvain, Institut de la Mati`re Condens´e et des
Nanosciences (IMCN), Place Louis Pasteur 1/3, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium
Email: [e-mail]

3.1 Introduction
Since the famous works of Sinfelt and co-workers, 1 it is generally admitted
that bimetallic catalysts are advantageous for many catalytic reactions.
Bimetallic catalysts usually present synergistic effects, i.e., catalytic activity,
selectivity and/or stability that outperform the performance of each
individual metal taken separately. 2 One of the two metals might even be
completely inactive alone, in which case it is usually referred to as a pro-
moter element. Many useful bimetallic associations have appeared over the
years, which usually involve pairs of transition metals, but might also extend
to main-group metals or even lanthanides. In catalytic active phases used in
bulk forms (such as oxides), new heterometallic phases are usually identified
which are responsible for the improvement (for example mixed oxides). In
supported catalysts, an intimate contact between the two metals is
also usually recognized as being vital

.

for the bimetallic effect to