Selective Hydrogenation of Phenol to Cyclohexanone in Water over Pd@N-Doped Carbon Derived from Ionic-Liquid Precursors

Graphical Being picky: N-Doped carbon (CN- x ) derived from N-containing ionic-liquid precursors are used as Pd nanoparticle supports for the selective hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone with high activity and selectivity under mild reaction conditions. The activities of the Pd@CN- x catalysts derived from a variety of ionic liquids are different, and studies on the physical properties, Pd status, and N species of the catalysts are performed. In this report, a kind of mesoporous N-doped carbon (CN- x ) derived from N-containing ionic-liquid (IL) precursors were synthesized, and Pd@CN- x prepared by a simple ultrasound-assisted method showed higher catalytic activity for the selective hydrogenation of phenol and its derivatives under mild reaction conditions in water than commercial Pd@C and other common Pd heterogeneous catalysts. The catalytic activities of Pd@CN- x derived from different ILs were different, and further study into the influencing factors, including physical properties, N species of CN- x , and Pd status of Pd@CN- x , were performed.