Precise regulation of Mo2N–TiO2 deposited Pt nanoparticles induced synergistic effect for the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde

Abstract

The amalgamation of an appropriate cocatalyst is a proficient technique to expand the efficacy of precious Pt-based catalytic materials. In this study, Mo2N–TiO2 with regularly distributed Mo2N particles were simply prepared for the deposition of precious Pt nanoparticles (NPs). Numerous techniques were implemented to thoroughly explore, how synthesis method influence the bulk structural, interfacial and cata1ytic features of the as-prepared 3 wt%Pt/TiO2 and 3 wt%Pt/Mo2N–TiO2 catalytic materials. The catalytic results obviously show that the 3 wt%Pt/Mo2N–TiO2 catalyst has exceptional hydrogenation performance when compared to 3 wt%Pt/TiO2 catalyst. The 3 wt%Pt/Mo2N–TiO2 catalyst displayed high conversion (72.4 %) of cinnamaldehyde (CAL) with a maximum selectivity (82.1 %) towards CO bond. The excellent hydrogenation performance is attributed to the synergistic interaction taking place between Pt NPs and Mo2N entities of 3 wt%Pt/Mo2N–TiO2. Also, the enhanced standardized dispersal of Pt NPs on the Mo2N–TiO2 surface causes more exposed Pt0 sites on the 3 wt%Pt/Mo2N–TiO2 surface, which is productive for the improved activation and conversion of CO bond of CAL to yield COL. In addition, the 3 wt%Pt/Mo2N–TiO2 catalyst retained its higher catalytic activity for consecutive five successive rounds without substantial loss in either conversion or selectivity.