Visible-Light-Promoted Selective Hydrogenation of Crotonaldehyde by Au Supported ZnAl-Layered Double Hydroxides: Catalytic Property, Kinetics, and Mechanism Investigation

Abstract

α,β-Unsaturated alcohols are a group of important chemicals and have frequently been synthesized by catalytic hydrogenation method due to its low cost and environmental friendly nature. However, the synthesis of high reactivity and selectivity catalyst that favors C═O hydrogenation is very challenging. Many references have reported the results of selective hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde to crotonyl alcohol, which either have high conversion and low selectivity or high selectivity and low conversion. Herein, Au-supported ZnAl-layered double hydroxides (Au/ZnAl–LDHs) were synthesized and used on the hydrogenation reaction of crotonaldehyde (CDE) to crotonyl alcohol (COL) under the moderate reaction conditions supplied with light irradiation. The experimental results indicated that the reactivity of CDE hydrogenation and selectivity of COL both have been greatly improved under visible light irradiation, from 42% to 99% for conversion of CDE, from 59.5% to 96% for COL selectivity, and from 101 to 272 h–1 for...