Anchoring effect of phosphorus in the synthesis of thermally stable Pd nano-cluster catalyst

Nanocluster catalysts play an important role in specific catalytic reactions. However, their structural instability under high-temperature reducing conditions poses a challenge for their wide application. In this study, we developed an organophosphorus coordination-anchoring approach to synthesize highly thermally stable Pd nanocluster catalysts. Phosphorus can evenly disperse and firmly fix Pd clusters on the support of SBA-15, and they cannot agglomerate or be lost after high-temperature treatment up to 800 °C in H2 or N2. Additionally, the catalyst exhibits excellent chemoselective hydrogenation properties for quinoline and its derivatives under milder conditions in water. This study provides new ideas for the synthesis of highly thermally stable metal nanocluster catalysts.