Pd@silicate-1 synthesized by steam-assisted-crystallization strategy for high-efficient catalytic hydrogenation of furfural

Here, we demonstrate a simple in situ synthesis of Pd@silicate-1 (S-1), using [Pd(NH 2 CH 2 CH 2 NH 2 ) 2 ]Cl 2 as a metal precursor and steam-assisted crystallization (SAC) method. The ultra-small Pd nanoparticles (NPs) (~ 1 nm) can be successfully in situ encapsulated into the silicate-1 matrix with well dispersion. The obtained Pd@S-1 catalyst possesses high crystallinity, a large specific surface area and pore volume. More importantly, Pd NPs encapsulated into silicate-1 matrix can avoid the aggregation and sintering during catalytic reaction. Meanwhile, micropores of silicate-1 can improve the selectivity of the products in the hydrogenation of biomass furfural. Consequently, Pd@S-1 catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity in the selective hydrogenation of biomass furfural with selectivity of 95.7% and activity of 83.7% in the condition of relatively low temperature (458 K). Therefore, this strategy provides a new idea for the synthesis of molecular sieve supported metal catalysts.