There is life after coking for Ir nanocatalyst superlattices

Abstract Achieving superior performance of nanoparticle systems is one the biggest challenges in catalysis. Two major phenomena, occurring during reactions, hinder development full potential catalysts: sintering and contamination with carbon containing species, sometimes called coking. Here, we demonstrate that Ir nanocrystals, arranged into periodic networks on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) supports, can be restored without after by persistent carbon. This restoration yields complete removal from which keep their crystalline structure, allowing operation degradation. These findings, together possibility fine tuning nanocrystals size, confer this system a great as testbed to extract key information about catalysis-mediated oxidation reactions. For case CO O 2 , reaction interest environmental science green energy production, existence chemical processes not observed before other demonstrated.