Abstract
Acid functionalization of a carbon support allows to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of Pd to hydrogenate benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol proportional to the concentration of Brønsted-acid sites. In contrast, the hydrogenation rate is not affected when H2 is used as a reduction equivalent. The different responses to the catalyst properties are shown to be caused by differences in the hydrogenation mechanism between the electrochemical and the H2-induced hydrogenation pathways. The enhancement of electrocatalytic reduction is realized by the participation of support-generated hydronium ions in the proximity of the metal particles.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1501-1505 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Angewandte Chemie - International Edition |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 20 Jan 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- acidity of support
- biomass conversion
- carbon modification
- electrocatalytic hydrogenation
- nanocatalysis