Onion‐like fullerene as a carrier for the synthesis of platinum catalysts and its application to the electrochemical hydrogenation of soybean oil

Abstract

In this study, Pt/OLF catalysts were synthesized using onion-like fullerenes (OLF) as carriers and applied as cathode catalysts in solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) electrochemical reactors for the preparation of hydrogenated oils. The results show that OLF is a good carrier, and the specific surface area and accumulated pore area of OLF are increased after oxidation by 264.50% and 256.83%, respectively. The loaded Pt forms uniformly dispersed crystalline particles (14.59 nm) on the OLF, and the crystallization is dominated by 111 crystalline planes. In the hydrogenation process, the Pt/OLF catalyst shows lower trienoate selectivity, lower activation energy (21.36 kJ/mol), and higher catalytic activity than the Pt/C catalyst. In addition, the hydrogenated product prepared with the Pt/OLF catalyst has a lower trans fatty acids (TFA) content than that of Pt/C, and the oil crystallization in the product is more uniform, but no difference in flavor is found for the Pt/C-hydrogenated oil, which is an excellent quality hydrogenated product. Novelty impact statement Preparation of Pt-based catalyst with good catalytic activity using onion-like fullerenes (OLF) as carrier. Application of Pt/OLF catalyst to SPE electrochemical hydrogenation reactor to hydrogenated soybean oil. Prepared a hydrogenated product with low trans fatty acids, uniform crystallinity, and good quality.