Highly Networked Platinum-Tin Nanowires as Highly Active and Selective Catalysts towards the Semihydrogenation of Unsaturated Aldehydes

The selective hydrogenation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes to unsaturated alcohols is an important process for many industrial applications, whereas the realization of excellent conversion efficiency and selectivity remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the preparation of a class of networked Pt-Sn nanowires (Pt-Sn NWs) for the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated aldehydes to the desired unsaturated alcohols. The optimized Pt1.5Sn NWs delivered a high conversion efficiency (98.1%) for the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde (CAL) and excellent selectivity to cinnamyl alcohol (COL) (90.6%); thus, they outperformed Pt1.5Sn nanoparticles (NPs) as well as Pt NPs. The high performance of the Pt1.5Sn NWs was expanded to the hydrogenation of other alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that a high ratio of metallic Pt in the Pt1.5Sn NWs boosted the conversion of CAL and that a high Sn content favored the hydrogenation of the C=O bond, both of which lead to excellent activity and selectivity.