Pd nanoparticles anchored and stabilized on N-doped boehmite@C with enhanced catalytic performance in 2-ethyl-9,10 anthraquinone hydrogenation

Pd nanoparticles (NP) immobilized on nitrogen (N)-doped boehmite@C composites (CCB) with enhanced catalytic performance for 2-ethyl-9,10 anthraquinone hydrogenation were successfully prepared by a mild vapor-phase hydrothermal method. The characterization results showed that the phase structures, morphologies and texture properties of CCB are analogous to the corresponding boehmite. The dosages of sucrose and urea determined the contents of C and N in CCB, which controlled the loading capacities of 0.64–1.50%, particle sizes of 3.75–5.48 nm and dispersity of 18.6–33.8% of the Pd NP. The C, N atoms and -OH groups on the surface of CCB are beneficial to anchor and stabilize Pd NP in situ reduction. Compared with the hydrogenation efficiency of Pd/boehmite (8.68 g/L), the corresponding value of Pd/CCB (11.18 g/L) increased by 28.8%. Furthermore, compared with the traditional preparation methods of catalyst in the field of anthraquinone hydrogenation, this effective and mild vapor-phase hydrothermal method does not use any excess reductant and capping reagent, and thus provides an alternative approach for preparing high-performance catalyst.