In-situ facile synthesis novel N-doped thin graphene layer encapsulated Pd@N/C catalyst for semi-hydrogenation of alkynes

Abstract

Transition metal-catalyzed semi-hydrogenation of alkynes has become one of the most popular methods for alkene synthesis. Specifically, the noble metal Pd, Rh, and Ru-based heterogeneous catalysts have been widely studied and utilized in both academia and industry. But the supported noble metal catalysts are generally suffering from leaching or aggregation during harsh reaction conditions, which resulting low catalytic reactivity and stability. Herein, we reported the facile synthesis of nitrogen doped graphene encapsulated Pd catalyst and its application in the chemo-selective semi-hydrogenation of alkynes. The graphene layer served as “bulletproof” over the active Pd Nano metal species, which was confirmed by X-ray and TEM analysis, enhanced the catalytic stability during the reaction conditions. The optimized prepared Pd@N/C catalyst showed excellent efficiency in semi-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene and other types of alkynes with un-functionalized or functionalized substituents, including the hydrogenation sensitive functional groups (NO2, ester, and halogen).