Contiguous metal foams offer numerous advantages over conventional powders as supports for nanostructured catalysts; a 3-D porous framework ensuring full directional coverage of catalyst, applicability to flow reactors, intrinsic ease-of-handling and recyclability. Nonetheless, they remain underused in thermal catalysis compared to conventional supports such as amorphous carbon, metal oxides, zeolites and MOFs. One particular challenge remains in seeding growth of metal nanoparticles on the foam surface and preventing sintering – upon calcination or under high temperature catalytic applications. Utilizing a combination of organic surface treatment, hydrothermal growth of Pd nanoparticles, and inherently area-selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) of an inert metal oxide, we have obtained well dispersed Pd particles over an Ni foam support. The catalysts are robust, easy to handle and long lived even stored under ambient conditions. We present their synthesis, characterization and application as selective catalysts for a broad reaction and substrate scope: (i) hydrogenation of nitroaromatics, alkenes, alkynes, and arenes; (ii) hydrosilylation of ketones; (iii) dehydrocoupling of amine-boranes.

Palladium nanoparticles secured on nickel foams: A simple strategy for robust, versatile, and reusable catalysts

ACS Spring 2022

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