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Updated: May 21, 2026

Tuning the Acidity of Pt/ CNTs Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation of Diphenyl Ether
Published on: August 17, 2019
sp³ -linked amorphous carbon with sulfonic acid groups as a heterogeneous acid catalyst
Satoshi Suganuma1, Kiyotaka Nakajima, Masaaki Kitano
1Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta-cho 4259-R3-33, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan.
Abstract:
SO₃H-bearing amorphous carbon prepared from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is studied as a heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalyst. Sulfonation of partially carbonized PVC produces amorphous carbon consisting of small SO₃H-bearing carbon sheets linked by sp³ -based aliphatic hydrocarbons. This carbon material exhibits much higher catalytic performance in the hydrolysis of cellobiose than conventional heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysts with SO₃H groups, including SO₃H-bearing amorphous carbon derived from cellulose. This can be attributed to a high density of SO₃H groups and the fast diffusion of reactants and products enabled by a flexible carbon network.
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