Metal-support interactions (MSI) and their impact on catalytic performance are well documented for oxide supports. In contrast, similar effects have been rarely studied for carbon-supported catalysts. Specifically, structure-activity correlations have remained elusive for carbons due to their heterogeneous structure at the nanoscale.<br/><br/>Herein, we decreased the level of complexity of disordered nanocarbon supports with the objective of decoupling the effects of surface chemistry and graphitic character. Relationships between these isolated support features and the electronic properties of Pd metal nanoparticles (3-5 nm) were established for the liquid-phase hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. Trends in catalytic performance were corroborated with the evidence for MSI provided by hydrogen adsorption isotherms, aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron radiation based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. The observed correlations between the support’s defect structure and the electronic properties of Pd are expected to set the foundation for the rational design of carbon supported catalysts. These results are envisioned to impact a vast array of reactions catalyzed by Pd/C, including hydrogenations, coupling, dehydrogenations, and oxidations.

Carbon support effects on the selectivity of Pd/C catalysts for the hydrogenation of multifunctional chemicals

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.