BACKGROUND The catalytic hydrogenation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene is an environmentally benign technology for the production of 2,4-toluenediamine, which is a key intermediate in production of polyurethane foams, elastomers and sealants. Most of the existing precious metal nanocatalysts, however, suffer from low catalytic efficiency and high catalyst costs. Single metal atoms and clusters anchored on carriers, with high atom utilization efficiency, provide a good strategy for creating cost-effective catalysts. In the work reported, a ZrO2-supported Pt single-atom and cluster catalyst was successfully prepared using a facile adsorption method for hydrogenation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene to 2,4-toluenediamine. RESULTS Pt concentration in solution and reduction temperature had a substantial effect on the Pt loadings, dispersion and the corresponding catalytic performance. The 15Pt/ZrO2-300 catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity. At 80 degrees C and hydrogen pressure of 1 MPa, the initial hydrogenation rate reached as high as 4583.33 mol(H2) mol(Pt)(-1) min(-1), which was more than 40 times that for a conventional Pd/C catalyst. CONCLUSIONS ZrO2-supported Pt single-atom and cluster catalyst was successfully fabricated. The method was implemented on the foundation of strong charge adsorption between Pt ions and ZrO2 carrier. The prepared Pt single-atom and cluster catalyst showed excellent catalytic activity for hydrogenation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene to 2,4-toluenediamine. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry