Synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon coated TiO2 microspheres and its application as metal support in cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation

N-doped carbon coated TiO2 microspheres (CNx/TiO2) were synthesized by the carbonization of the polypyrrole (PPy) coating on the surface of TiO2 microspheres and used as support to disperse Pt and PtCo nanoparticles for investing the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde. The support and catalysts have been characterized in terms of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FUR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The hydrogenation results showed the conversion increased with an increase of CNx amount until the CNx coated TiO2 microspheres completely. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.