Rebuilding supramolecular aggregates to porous hollow N-doped carbon tube inlaid with ultrasmall Ag nanoparticles: A highly efficient catalyst for CO2 conversion

Fabrication of novel heterogeneous catalysts with well-designed structures is unusually intriguing for CO 2 conversion. In this study, we have prepared a porous hollow N-doped carbon tube through the pyrolysis of self-assembled melamine cyanurate aggregate supramolecular precursor. Ultrasmall Ag nanoparticles were tightly anchored in the hollow N-doped carbon tube via an in-situ fabrication. The average size of Ag nanoparticles was confined in only 2.19 nm with the assistance of abundant surface functional groups and porous structures. Additionally, inherent hollow N-doped carbon tube structure could prevent nanoparticles aggregating and leaching; also, they facilitated gas adsorption and mass transfer in CO 2 catalysis. Due to their remarkable properties, the novel material was utilized as heterogeneous catalyst for the carboxylation of alkynes with CO 2 , and exhibited outstanding catalytic activity and stability at ambient pressure and low temperature.