Substituting Salt for Cerium Oxide The water-gas shift reaction converts carbon monoxide and water to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Catalysts that operate at lower temperatures will be useful in fuel cells. Nanoparticles of platinum adsorbed on reducible oxides, such as ceria, can stabilize catalytically active Ptoxygen species. Zhai et al. (p. 1633 ) now show that, when alkali atoms are added, atomically dispersed Pt can be an active catalyst for the water-gas shift reaction at ∼100°C, even on simple oxides such as alumina and silica.

Alkali-Stabilized Pt-OH x Species Catalyze Low-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Reactions