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Plasma-Enabled Pd/C Catalysts with Rich Carbon Defects for High-Performance Phenol Selective Hydrogenation
Yu Zhang1, Ying Xin1, Lizheng Tang1
1State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 9, 2026
Summary
We engineered defects on activated carbon supports using argon plasma treatment. This created a highly dispersed and stable palladium catalyst (PL-Pd@ACAr) for efficient phenol hydrogenation to cyclohexanone.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
Background:
- Selective hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone is crucial for nylon precursor production.
- Conventional Palladium on Carbon (Pd/C) catalysts exhibit poor stability due to weak metal-support interactions and nanoparticle agglomeration.
- Developing stable and highly dispersed hydrogenation catalysts is essential for industrial applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, stable, and highly dispersed catalyst for phenol hydrogenation.
- To engineer defects on activated carbon supports using argon plasma treatment to enhance catalyst performance.
- To investigate the effect of surface defects on palladium nanoparticle dispersion and electronic structure.
Main Methods:
- Facile argon plasma treatment of activated carbon (AC) support.
- Preparation of defect-rich palladium on activated carbon catalyst (PL-Pd@ACAr).
- Characterization of catalyst properties including dispersion, stability, and electronic structure.
Main Results:
- Plasma treatment engineered abundant defects on the AC support, enhancing palladium precursor anchoring and nanoparticle dispersion.
- The PL-Pd@ACAr catalyst demonstrated 99.9% phenol conversion and 97% selectivity to cyclohexanone at 70 °C.
- The catalyst exhibited exceptional stability over six consecutive reaction cycles, showcasing robust metal-support interactions.
Conclusions:
- Surface engineering of carbon supports via plasma treatment is an effective strategy for designing high-performance hydrogenation catalysts.
- The defect-rich PL-Pd@ACAr catalyst offers a robust and efficient solution for producing nylon precursors.
- This approach provides a pathway for developing advanced catalysts with improved activity and stability.
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