Finely Controlled Platinum Nanoparticles over ZnO Nanorods for Selective Hydrogenation of 3-Nitrostyrene to 3-Vinylaniline.

Metallic platinum nanocatalysts play a key role in the liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of substrates with more than one unsaturated bond. However, the commonly applied explanation for the effects of different electronic and geometric properties of catalysts on reactions remains of a heuristic nature due to the difficulties involved in preparing catalysts with precise structure. In this work, we have directly loaded pre-synthesized metallic platinum nanoparticles onto well-structured ZnO nanorods and then subjected them to thermal treatment in a reductive atmosphere for different temperatures. The effects of the different electronic and geometric properties of the catalysts on the selective reduction of 3-nitrostyrene to 3-vinylaniline as a model reaction have been rigorously explored through an analysis of the catalyst structures and the activity and selectivity profiles. Both the electron transfer from zinc to platinum and the decreased platinum surface density as a result of the formation of PtZn intermetallic compounds are key factors for improving the selectivity for the desired 3-vinylaniline. Azobenzene was detected in the reaction with all the Pt/ZnO catalysts after 10-90 min, which indicates that the reaction follows a condensation mechanism.