Pd Nanoparticles Loaded on CoAlCe Layered Double Oxide Nanosheets for Phenol Hydrogenation

The catalytic upgrading of phenolic derivatives is vital for the efficient utilization of biomass resources. Herein, we construct a reductive layered double oxide material (CoAlCe-LDO) with the Ce–Co interface and abundant oxygen vacancy (VO) via heat-treating layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors. The support spontaneous in situ redox method is employed to prepare the supported catalyst using CoAlCe-LDO as a support and reductant. Interestingly, highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles prefer to distribute at the contact edge of the Ce–Co interface. Pd2+ is successfully reduced to Pd0 by the reductive Co/Ce sites. Due to the redox reaction between the support and Pd species, a strong metal–support interaction is introduced. The Pd/CoAlCe-LDO catalyst shows high activity for phenol hydrogenation under mild conditions and a low molar ratio of Pd to phenol. The kinetic study suggests that the highly dispersed Pd sites could preferably activate H2 molecules, thereby boosting the rapid phenol hydrogenation.