Phosphorus-doped nanoflower-like porous carbon with well-dispersed RuP sites embedded for enhancing hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol

Abstract

Heteroatom doping has emerged as a pivotal application in the synthesis of catalytic materials within the realm of catalysis. Herein, we present an innovative synthetic strategy for fabricating phosphorus-doped nanoflower-like porous carbon embedded with uniformly dispersed RuP sites (Ru/P-NFPC) originating from ruthenium-organic frameworks. This unique material was employed for the selective hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The observed result reveals that Ru/P-NFPC exhibits outstanding catalytic activity, achieving a remarkable yield of 99.9 % for 4-AP within 180 s at ambient temperature. Comprehensive characterization techniques and experimental outcomes demonstrated that the incorporation of phosphorus atoms altered the electronic structure of the carbon nano-scaffold, facilitating the anchoring of RuP alloys and mitigating aggregation. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations validated the partial charge reorganization and electronic coupling effect in the unique Ru/P-NFPC catalysts. These analyses disclosed that phosphorus doping instigated electron transfer at the active catalyst interface, with P species acquiring additional electrons due to Ru's electron deficiency, thereby optimizing the catalytic reaction.