Biowaste soybean curd residue-derived Pd/nitrogen-doped porous carbon with excellent catalytic performance for phenol hydrogenation

Abstract

Use of renewable raw materials for fabrication catalysts with excellent catalytic performance is of considerable importance for sustainable chemistry. Here, biowaste soybean curd residue (SCR) was used to prepare porous N-doped carbon materials (PNCM) via the carbonization method, and subsequently modified with small Pd nanoparticles (NPs) to generate the Pd/PNCM catalyst. Pd/PNCM was used for catalytic hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone, as the latter is an important chemical intermediate that is usually produced under harsh reaction conditions. The Pd/PNCM catalyst can hydrogenate phenol to cyclohexanone in aqueous solution under mild reaction conditions with excellent catalytic performance. In addition, compared to commercial Pd/C, Pd/PNCM exhibits excellent catalytic performance and stability, which is attributed to the synergetic effects of N-doping of porous carbon supports and stabilization of ultra-small Pd NPs. Thus, this study highlights a new pathway for preparing N-doped porous carbon materials using biomass waste as the precursor material, and subsequently fabricating precious metal-modified catalysts with excellent catalytic performance for sustainable and green catalysis.