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• Controllable activity and selectivity of Pd/C hydrogenation catalysts. • Effect of the carbon support on the structure and catalytic properties of Pd NPs. • Effect of the Pd precursor on the structure and catalytic properties of Pd NPs. • Addition of a second metal and the synergistic effect in Pd-based bimetallic catalysts. Carbon-supported palladium catalysts are widely used for hydrogenation of various organic compounds in the fine chemical industry. The nanoscale geometry and electronic structure of supported Pd nanoparticles play a crucial role in providing the necessary catalytic properties. To improve catalytic activity and selectivity of Pd nanoparticles, it is possible to fine tune their intrinsic properties (e.g., size and oxidation state) by controlling the chemical transformations at different stages of catalyst preparation. Recent years have seen considerable advancement in developing new catalyst preparation techniques as well as in understanding the mechanism of active site formation. This review summarizes some of the existing approaches to regulating the catalytic properties of carbon-supported palladium by variation of the carbon support, the composition of palladium precursor and its reduction conditions, as well as the addition of a second active metal. The data presented may be useful for researchers developing efficient Pd/C catalysts for hydrogenation of polyfunctional organic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was established that the surface functionality of nanoglobular carbon (NGC) can be effectively altered by treatment at temperatures of 573 – 1173 K in an inert atmosphere, without affecting the structure and morphology of the material as a whole. The destruction and loss of surface oxygen groups occurs as a result of this treatment, which is accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of paramagnetic centers. At a temperature of 1173 K, a restructuring and “smoothing” of the carbon surface apparently takes place, which is expressed by annealing of defects (sources of EPR signal). It was found that changes in the surface functionality of NGC affect the reducibility of supported palladium precursor and the formation of palladium nanoparticles, without causing changes in palladium dispersion state. The study of the obtained Pd/NGC catalysts in the practically important hydrogenation of 4-nitrobenzoic acid ethyl ester and furfural showed that thermal pre-treatment of the support affects the catalytic performance in these reactions. It is important that varying temperature of such pre-treatment over a fairly wide range, which has a significant impact on the functionality of the support surface, leads to only relatively small changes in the activity and selectivity of the resulting catalysts. In this regard, thermal pre-treatment of carbon support should be considered as an approach to fine tune the performance of carbon-supported palladium catalysts.Graphical Abstract: It was established that the surface functionality of nanoglobular carbon (NGC) can be effectively altered by treatment at temperatures of 573 – 1173 K in an inert atmosphere, without affecting the structure and morphology of the material as a whole. The destruction and loss of surface oxygen groups occurs as a result of this treatment, which is accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of paramagnetic centers. At a temperature of 1173 K, a restructuring and “smoothing” of the carbon surface apparently takes place, which is expressed by annealing of defects (sources of EPR signal). It was found that changes in the surface functionality of NGC affect the reducibility of supported palladium precursor and the formation of palladium nanoparticles, without causing changes in palladium dispersion state. The study of the obtained Pd/NGC catalysts in the practically important hydrogenation of 4-nitrobenzoic acid ethyl ester and furfural showed that thermal pre-treatment of the support affects the catalytic performance in these reactions. It is important that varying temperature of such pre-treatment over a fairly wide range, which has a significant impact on the functionality of the support surface, leads to only relatively small changes in the activity and selectivity of the resulting catalysts. In this regard, thermal pre-treatment of carbon support should be considered as an approach to fine tune the performance of carbon-supported palladium catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the structural and textural properties of NiAl-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) (with 2–4 molar ratios of metals) and state of nickel that occur in different steps of the synthesis of nickel catalysts were studied using XRD, thermal analysis, TPR, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, XANES, EXAFS, and electron microscopy methods. Relations between nickel content, catalyst reduction conditions, state of nickel, and its catalytic properties were revealed. It was shown that the use of NiAl LDH as the catalyst precursor even at a high content of active metal allows for the obtaining of the dispersed particles of supported nickel that are active in the aqueous-phase hydrogenation of furfural. The catalyst activity and conversion of furfural were found to increase with elevation of the catalyst reduction temperature and the corresponding growth of the fraction of reduced nickel. However, a lower reduction temperature (500 °C) makes it possible to form smaller nickel particles with the size of 4–6 nm, and a high Ni content (Ni:Al = 4) can be used to obtain the active Ni@NiAlOx catalyst. Under mild reaction conditions (90 °C, 2.0 MPa), the furfural conversion reached 93%, and furfuryl alcohol was formed with the selectivity of 70%. Under more severe reaction conditions (150 °C, 3.0 MPa), complete conversion of furfural was achieved, and cyclopentanol and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol were the main hydrogenation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Purposeful change of palladium species localization in LDH structure. • Effect of precursor localization on sizes and morphology of supported Pd. • Effect of Pd precursor fixing on palladium activity in aqueous-phase FAL hydrogenation. • Predominant route of FAL conversion through furan ring hydrogenation on Pd/MgAl-LDH. Pd(II) chloride complexes were anchored using magnesium-aluminum layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with interlayer anions (CO 3 2– and OH–), which possess different exchange properties, and MgAl mixed oxide during its rehydration. It was shown that the catalysts of the same chemical composition with different size, morphology and electronic state of supported palladium particles can be synthesized by varying the localization of Pd precursor. The properties of Pd/MgAlOx catalysts were studied in aqueous-phase hydrogenation of furfural. Anchoring of the Pd precursor in the interlayer space of LDHs is accompanied by the formation of non-isometric agglomerated palladium particles which contain less oxidized metal and show a higher activity toward hydrogenation of furfural. Magnesium-aluminum oxides in Pd/MgAlO x catalysts are rehydrated in the aqueous-phase reaction to yield the activated MgAl-LDH species as a support, which promotes the furfural conversion via hydrogenation of the furan cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mechanism of Pd/C-catalyzed hydrogenation of furfural in H 2 O was established. • Deuterium labeling is one of the techniques used to study the reaction mechanism. • Aqueous-phase furfural hydrogenation is realized through four pathways. • Mechanism includes reductive and acid-catalyzed furan ring opening reactions. Catalytic hydrogenation of furfural under hydrothermal conditions is of great importance and has recently attracted huge attention as an approach to obtaining a wide range of valuable chemicals from a renewable source. However, the data concerning the reaction mechanism of aqueous-phase furfural hydrogenation are very scarce, and it is still not clear which reactions lead to various carbonyl compounds, such as cyclopentanone, 4-oxopentanal, 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone. Herein, we present the results of an experimental study of the mechanism of reactions occurring in the furfural hydrogenation under hydrothermal conditions over the 1% Pd/CNTs catalyst. The following approaches have been used to study the reaction mechanism: hydrogenation of key intermediates formed upon the furfural conversion, and isotopic labeling experiments using D 2 O as a tracer in hydrogenation of furfural, which provides direct evidence of the occurring reactions. It was found that the furfural hydrogenation process is realized through four pathways including various reductive and acid-catalyzed furan ring opening reactions. The methods and approaches used in the present work, as well as the results obtained, can be useful in studying the mechanism of aqueous-phase hydrogenation of a wide range of oxygen-containing substrates in the presence of catalysts of different compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review: 79 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]