Ru nanoparticles immobilized on metal-organic framework nanorods by supercritical CO2-methanol solution: highly efficient catalyst

A simple and efficient route for the immobilization of noble metal nanoparticles onto metal-organic framework (MOF) has been designed in this work. The Ru/MOF nanocomposites were prepared using RuCl(3 center dot)3H(2)O as a precursor in supercritical CO2-methanol solution at 200 degrees C. The as-synthesized Ru/MOF composite presented a high catalytic performance for the hydrogenation of cyclohexene and benzene. There was almost no activity loss after the catalyst was reused five times. The intermolecular interactions between the MOF and Ru nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectra and FT-IR spectra. It was shown that the carboxylate groups of MOF were coordinated to Ru. The formation mechanism of the Ru/MOF nanocomposites in supercritical CO2-methanol solution through an inorganic reaction route was discussed. This method can be easily applied to the synthesis of other MOF-supported metal nanoparticles.