2D vanadium carbide (V2CTx) MXene supported NiIn intermetallic compounds for the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol

NiIn intermetallic compounds are constructed over V 2 CT x MXene for the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde (CAL) to cinnamyl alcohol (COL). Ni 4 In/V 2 CT x demonstrated a conversion rate of 93.6% for CAL, with a high selectivity of 77.4% for COL. The COL yield of Ni 4 In/V 2 CT x is much greater than that of Ni 4 In, Ni/V 2 CT x , and Ni 4 In/Al 2 O 3 . Moreover, the V 2 CT x support is the key to the formation of NiIn intermetallic compounds, which effectively inhibit the oxidation of metallic Ni. NiIn metal particles are uniformly distributed on the surface of V 2 CT x , increasing the metal‒support interaction. Electron-deficient metallic Ni and In inhibit the hydrogenation of the C=C bond. Furthermore, the introduction of In provides more abundant and stronger Lewis acid sites, facilitating the adsorption of C=O bonds and thereby enhancing the selectivity for COL.