This work is devoted to the study of the role of both metals in the intermetallic PtxCuy/聽纬聽Al2O3聽catalysts commonly employed in CO-PROX reaction. Therefore, monometallic Pt and Cu based catalysts and PtCu intermetallic compound with different molar ratios (Pt3Cu1聽and Pt1Cu3) supported catalysts were carefully synthesized and deeply characterized. Room temperature CO adsorptions by FTIR spectroscopy were carried out on the mono- and intermetallic catalysts being the monometallic catalyst determinant for the study. From the analysis of the nature of the platinum surface in Pt/聽纬聽Al2O3, we have demonstrated that the role of Pt sites is based in the CO dissociation for the CO2聽formation and also how the platinum surface is partially blocked by leftovers from the synthesis. Moreover, the study of the Cu/聽纬聽Al2O3聽and the bimetallic catalysts PtxCuy/聽纬聽Al2O3聽allowed elucidating the effect of the copper in the metallic site and support interphase as well as the role of copper in the hydrocarbon oxidation.
