Chitosan derived efficient and stable Pd nano-catalyst for high efficiency hydrogenation

The design and development of green and efficient supported catalysts is the frontier direction in the field of green synthesis, which conforms to the strategic concept of green sustainable chemistry and carbon neutrality. Herein, we used a renewable resource chitosan (CS) derived from seafood wastes of chitin as carriers to design two different chitosan-supported palladium (Pd) nano-catalysts through different activation methods. The Pd particles were firmly and uniformly dispersed on the chitosan microspheres due to the interconnected nano -porous structure and functional groups of chitosan, proved by diverse characterizations. The chitosan supported catalysts (Pd@CS) was applied to hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol, which showed competitive catalytic activity compared to commercial Pd/C, un-supported nano-Pd and Pd(OAc)2 catalysts, as well as excellent catalytic activity, good reusability, long-life and broad applicability in selective hydrogenation of aromatic aldehydes, suggesting potential of applications in green industrial catalysis.

Automated summary

Researchers used renewable resource chitosan (CS) derived from seafood wastes as carriers to design two different chitosan-supported palladium (Pd) nano-catalysts through different activation methods. The Pd particles were evenly and firmly dispersed on the chitosan microspheres due to the porous structure and functional groups of chitosan, as confirmed by various characterizations. The chitosan supported catalysts (Pd@CS) showed competitive catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol and exhibited excellent catalytic activity, reusability, long-life, and broad applicability in selective hydrogenation of aromatic aldehydes, suggesting potential for green industrial catalysis applications.