Selective adsorption of SiC quantum dots to C = O bond promoting the catalytic hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde

In the hydrogenation of polyfunctional compounds, achieving high selectivity for specific functional groups remains challenging. Herein we report that SiC quantum dots (QDs) can selectively adsorb C = O in cinnamaldehyde, significantly increasing the activity and selectivity of Pt/SiC for hydrogenating cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol. A 10 wt% QDs-modified Pt/SiC catalyst showed a turnover frequency 3.5 times higher than Pt/SiC under mild conditions. Further studies reveal that the defect-rich surface of SiC QDs facilitates the adsorption of C = O bond in cinnamaldehyde and enhances the spillover of active hydrogen from Pt to SiC QDs. During the catalysis process, Pt is responsible for the generation of reactive hydrogen species while the QDs undertake the activation of C = O bond, and the hydrogen species react with cinnamaldehyde via spillover. This work demonstrates the promise of SiC QDs in heterogeneous catalysis and provides a reference for designing novel hydrogenation catalysts.