Pd-doped Ni nanocatalyst with high Pd utilization for semi-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene at ambient conditions

Abstract

Semi-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene to styrene is an essential process in the expanding polystyrene industry. Despite Pd-based catalysts have been widely used, challenges like styrene over-hydrogenation and high cost remain to be addressed. Herein, a Pd-doped Ni nanocatalyst (Pd0.1/Ni1/Al2O3) with excellent Pd utilization was successfully developed for semi-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene, delivering a high conversion of >99 % with 95 % selectivity to styrene at ambient temperature and pressure (25 °C, 1 atm H2). The boosted catalytic activity might be ascribed to the mesoporous Al2O3 with large surface area, and the enhanced selectivity is due to the reduced electron density and improved dispersion of Pd derived from Ni-Pd interaction. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibits excellent stability for enduring 6 cycles. This work provides an efficient and practical strategy to develop cost-effective, high-performance and recyclable catalysts for various selective hydrogenation reactions in fundamental and applied research.