Air+pollution
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KAIST Designs a New Atomic Catalyst for Air Pollution Reduction
<(From Left)Professor Jong Hun Kim from Inha University, Dr. Gyuho Han and Professor Jeong Young Park from KAIST>
Platinum diselenide (PtSe2) is a two-dimensional multilayer material in which each layer is composed of platinum (Pt) and selenium (Se). It is known that its excellent crystallinity and precise control of interlayer interactions allow modulation of various physical and chemical properties. Due to these characteristics, it has been actively researched in multiple fields, including semiconductors, photodetectors, and electrochemical devices. Now, a research team has proposed a new design concept in which atomically dispersed platinum on the surface of platinum diselenide can function as a catalyst for gas reactions. Through this, they have proven its potential as a next-generation gas-phase catalyst technology for high-efficiency carbon dioxide conversion and carbon monoxide reduction.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on July 22 that a joint research team led by Endowed Chair Professor Jeong Young Park from the Department of Chemistry, along with Professor Hyun You Kim's team from Chungnam National University and Professor Yeonwoong (Eric) Jung's team from the University of Central Florida (UCF), has achieved excellent carbon monoxide oxidation performance by utilizing platinum atoms exposed on the surface of platinum diselenide, a type of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD).
To maximize catalytic performance, the research team designed the catalyst by dispersing platinum atoms uniformly across the surface, departing from the conventional use of bulk platinum. This strategy allows more efficient catalytic reactions using a smaller amount of platinum. It also enhances electronic interactions between platinum and selenium by tuning the surface electronic structure. As a result, the platinum diselenide film with a thickness of a few nanometers showed superior carbon monoxide oxidation performance across the entire temperature range compared to a conventional platinum thin film under identical conditions.
In particular, carbon monoxide and oxygen were evenly adsorbed on the surface in similar proportions, increasing the likelihood that they would encounter each other and react, which significantly enhanced the catalytic activity. This improvement is primarily attributed to the increased exposure of surface platinum atoms resulting from selenium vacancies (Se-vacancies), which provide adsorption sites for gas molecules.
The research team confirmed in real-time that these platinum atoms served as active adsorption sites during the actual reaction process, using ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) conducted at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory. This high-precision analysis was enabled by advanced instrumentation capable of observing surfaces at the nanometer scale under ambient pressure conditions. At the same time, computer simulations based on density functional theory (DFT) demonstrated that platinum diselenide exhibits distinct electronic behavior compared to conventional platinum.
*Density Functional Theory (DFT): A quantum mechanical method for calculating the total energy of a system based on electron density.
Professor Jeong Young Park stated, “This research presents a new design strategy that utilizes platinum diselenide, a two-dimensional layered material distinct from conventional platinum catalysts, to enable catalytic functions optimized for gas-phase reactions.” He added, “The electronic interaction between platinum and selenium created favorable conditions for the balanced adsorption of carbon monoxide and oxygen. By designing the catalyst to exhibit higher reactivity across the entire temperature range than conventional platinum, we improved its practical applicability. This enabled a high-efficiency catalytic reaction mechanism through atomic-level design, a two-dimensional material platform, and precise adsorption control.”
This research was co-authored by Dr. Gyuho Han from the Department of Chemistry at KAIST, Dr. Hyuk Choi from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Chungnam National University, and Professor Jong Hun Kim from Inha University. The study was published on July 3 in the world-renowned journal Nature Communications.
Paper Title: Enhanced catalytic activity on atomically dispersed PtSe2 two-dimensional layers
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61320-0
This research was supported by the Mid-Career Researcher Program of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Core Research Institute Program of the Ministry of Education, the National Strategic Technology Materials Development Project, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Program, research funding from Inha University, and the Postdoctoral Researcher Program (P3) at UCF. Accelerator-based analysis was conducted in cooperation with the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory and the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI).
2025.07.22 View 454 -
KAIST Develops Subminiature, Power-Efficient Air Pollution Sensing Probe
Professor Inkyu Park and his research team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST have developed a subminiature, power-efficient air-pollution sensing probe that can be applied to mobile devices. Their research findings were published online in the January 30th issue of Scientific Reports.
As air pollution has increased, people have taken greater interest in health care. The developed technology could allow people to measure independently the air pollution level of their surrounding environments.
Previous instruments used to measure air pollution levels were bulky and consumed a lot of power. They also often produced inaccurate results when measuring air pollution in which different toxic gases were mixed. These problems could not be resolved with existing semiconductor manufacturing process.
Using local temperature field control technology, Professor Park’s team succeeded in integrating multiple heterogeneous nanomaterials and fitting them onto a small, low-power electronic chip. This microheating sensor can heat microscale regions through local hydrothermal synthesis. Because it requires a miniscale amount of nanomaterials to manufacture, the sensor is most suitable for mobile devices.
Professor Park said, “Our research will contribute to the development of convergence technology in such field as air pollution sensing probes, biosensors, electronic devices, and displays.”
The team's research was supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Republic of Korea.
Figure 1 – The Concept of Multiple Nanomaterial Device and Numerical Simulation Results of Precursor Solutions
Figure 2 - Multiple Nanomaterial Manufactured in a Microscale Region
2015.02.27 View 12824