Pd₃ Pb Nanosponges for Selective Conversion of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol under Mild Condition

Alloy structures with high catalytic surface areas and tunable surface energies can lead to high catalytic selectivity and activities. Herein, the synthesis of sponge-like Pd₃ Pb multiframes (Pd₃ Pb MFs) is reported by using the thermodynamically driven phase segregation, which exhibit high selectivity (93%) for the conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol (FOL) under mild conditions. The excellent catalytic performance of the Pd₃ Pb MF catalysts is attributed to the high surface area and optimized surface energy of the catalyst, which is associated with the introduction of Pb to Pd. Density functional theory calculations show that the binding energy of FOL to the surface energy-tuned Pd₃ Pb MF is sufficiently lowered to prevent side reactions such as over-hydrogenation of FOL.