Efficient electrocatalytic alkyne Semi-Hydrogenation and deuteration using Pd/PANI catalysts supported on nickel foam.

The Pd/PANI catalyst, supported on nickel foam, enabled efficient electrocatalytic alkyne semi-hydrogenation. It efficiently converted various alkynes into alkenes with good to excellent yields, using H 2 O or D 2 O as hydrogen sources. With low Pd loading (0.24–0.4 mol%), the Pd/PANI-NF catalyst demonstrated prolonged catalytic stability in both batch and continuous flow electrolysis processes, underscoring its practical potential for electrocatalytic hydrogenation. [Display omitted] • Efficient and active Pd/PANI catalyst with synergistic effect between Pd nanoparticles and PANI on the nickel foam. • Broad substrate range for alkyne semi-hydrogenation and deuteration. • Gram-scale production of alkenes under continuous flow. In this study, we synthesized Pd/PANI catalysts anchored on nickel foam (NF) via a single-step CV electrodeposition process. The resulting Pd 0.3 /PANI-NF materials exhibited outstanding selectivity and activity for electrocatalytic alkyne semi-hydrogenation and deuteration under ambient conditions. Characterization of Pd/PANI and control experiment revealed that the combination of PANI and Pd had a synergistic effect on the catalytic performance of Pd/PANI-NF for alkyne semi-hydrogenation. Optimized conditions in H-cells allowed efficient conversion of various terminal and internal alkynes into their corresponding alkenes with remarkable yields up to 92 % and a Faradaic efficiency of 88 %, even at low Pd loading (0.4 mol%). The Pd 0.3 /PANI-NF showed sustained catalytic activity for gram-scale alkene synthesis through five usage cycles under continuous flow conditions, marked by a high TOF (up to 230 h−1) and combined TONs of 2151, establishing its practical viability for electrocatalytic hydrogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]