Metal‐Decorated Pickering Emulsion for Continuous Flow Catalysis

Abstract

AbstractContinuous flow catalysis is favored for large‐scale chemical synthesis due to its time‐saving, energy‐saving, and cost‐efficient characters. Herein, Pickering emulsions are demonstrated to be effective carriers for immobilizing metal nanocatalysts in continuous flow catalysis. A series of metal nanoparticles (Pd, Au, and Pt) are coated on emulsion droplets via a facile aldehyde‐induced reduction method. Meanwhile, Pickering emulsion can be formed by using aldehyde cellulose nanofibers (ACNFs) with different dimensions that come from eucalyptus wood, cotton, and bacteria cellulose. These ACNFs can be entangled together to generate an interfacial layer for locking in emulsion droplets and providing reactive sites for in situ growth of metal nanocatalysts. In Pd‐anchored emulsion, the continuously catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP), methylene blue, and methyl orange can proceed effectively for 55, 23, and 50 h with the conversion efficiencies at nearly 100%, >98%, >99%, respectively. In addition, Au‐ and Pt‐deposited emulsions are also operable in continuous flow catalysis as demonstrated by catalytic reduction of 4‐NP. Au‐decorated emulsion ensures the proceeding of catalytic reduction for 45 h with the conversion efficiency of >98% while Pt‐immobilized emulsion allows for the reduction of 4‐NP for 50 h at a conversion efficiency of >99%.