Bias-controlled catalytic selectivity via metal-semiconductor schottky nanodiodes

초록

The selective oxidation of methanol serves as a model reaction for probing the fundamental principles of heterogeneous catalysis, where control over product distribution remains a central challenge. Here, we report a catalytic nanodiode platform based on a Pt/n-type TiO2 Schottky junction that enables active modulation of reaction selectivity via applied electrical bias. By systematically varying the bias direction and magnitude during methanol oxidation under oxygen-rich conditions, we demonstrate that accumulation of negative charge on the Pt surface under reverse bias leads to a consistent decrease in methyl formate selectivity, indicating a shift toward full oxidation pathways. Electrical measurements confirm the suppression of current under reverse bias, supporting the formation of an electron-rich catalytic interface. These results provide direct experimental evidence that external control of interfacial charge can influence reaction selectivity, establishing catalytic nano-diodes as a promising platform for electronically tunable heterogeneous catalysis.

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