One-pot synthesis of gamma-graphyne supported Pd nanoparticles with high catalytic activity

As a unique member of the graphyne family, gamma-graphyne (γ-graphyne) is a novel kind of 2D carbon allotrope with potential high carrier mobility and large surface area. It remains a great challenge to synthesize graphynes with targeted topologies and good performance. Herein, a novel one-pot method was applied to the synthesis of γ-graphyne using hexabromobenzene and acetylenedicarboxylic acid via a Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reaction, which is easy to perform with mild reaction conditions, facilitating the possibility of mass production. As a result, the synthesized γ-graphyne reveals a two-dimensional γ-graphyne structure consisting of 1 : 1 sp/sp² hybridized carbon atoms. Furthermore, γ-graphyne as a carrier for Pd (Pd/γ-graphyne) displayed a superior catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol with a short reaction time and high yields, even in aqueous media under aerobic conditions. Compared with Pd/GO, Pd/HGO, Pd/CNT, and commercial Pd/C, Pd/γ-graphyne showed more excellent catalytic performance with lower palladium loadings. Thus we expect that the novel approach for the synthesis of γ-graphyne will boost research on the design and application of graphyne-type functional materials for catalysis.