• Thiel, T. A.; Zhang, X.; Radhakrishnan, B.; van de Krol, R.; Abdi, F.F.; Schroeter, M.; Schomaecker, R.; Schwarze, M.: Kinetic investigation of para-nitrophenol reduction with photodeposited platinum nanoparticles onto tunicate cellulose. RSC Advances 12 (2022), p. 30860-30870

10.1039/d2ra05507d
Open Access Version

Abstract:
Photodeposition is a specific method for depositing metallic co-catalysts onto photocatalysts and was applied for immobilizing platinum nanoparticles onto cellulose, a photocatalytically inactive biopolymer. The obtained Pt@cellulose catalysts show narrow and well-dispersed nanoparticles with average sizes between 2 and 5 nm, whereby loading, size and distribution depend on the preparation conditions. The catalysts were investigated for the hydrogenation of para-nitrophenol via transfer hydrogenation using sodium borohydride as the hydrogen source, and the reaction rate constant was determined using the pseudo-first-order reaction rate law. The Pt@cellulose catalysts are catalytically active with rate constant values k from 0.09 × 10−3 to 0.43 × 10−3 min−1, which were higher than the rate constant of a commercial Pt@Al2O3 catalyst (k = 0.09 × 10−3 min−1). Additionally, the Pt@cellulose catalyst can be used for electrochemical hydrogenation of para-nitrophenol where the hydrogen is electrocatalytically formed. The electrochemical hydrogenation is faster compared to the transfer hydrogenation (k = 0.11 min−1).