(472d) Atomic Layer Deposited Pt-Co Bimetallic Nanoparticles for Selective Hydrogenation

Highly dispersed Pt-Co bimetallic catalysts were deposited on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Both high-resolution TEM and STEM/EDS analysis verified the formation of Pt-Co bimetallic particles. High selectivity to cinnamic alcohol (> 90%) was achieved with high conversion (> 90%) in hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde over an optimized Pt-Co/MWCNTs catalyst. The catalyst also showed both high activity and high selectivity in C=O activation (> 90%) in selective hydrogenation reactions of other α, β‐unsaturated aldehydes, which indicates that the bimetallic catalyst was a universal and highly efficient catalyst for these kinds of reactions. Through a series of experiments and comparisons, the synergistic effects of Pt, Co, and MWCNTs were investigated. The results revealed that the interaction between Pt and Co NPs played a vital role in the high selectivity in C=O activation, and the synergistic effect between Pt-Co and MWCNTs boosted greatly the activity of Pt-Co bimetallic catalysts.