Palladium on graphene as efficient catalyst for solvent-free aerobic oxidation of aromatic alcohols: Role of graphene support

Palladium catalysts supported on different carbon materials, i.e. graphene, carbon nanotube and activated carbon, have been prepared by improved wet impregnation and employed in the solvent-free aerobic oxidation of aromatic alcohols using molecular oxygen as oxidant. High catalytic activity as well as high selectivity to corresponding carbonyl compounds can be obtained on Pd/graphene. Typically, an extremely high turnover frequency of 30,137 mol/h molPd is observed in the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde using Pd/graphene as catalyst. Palladium catalysts on different carbon supports are fully characterized by a series of techniques, e.g. Raman, XRD, SEM, TEM, TG, XPS, FTIR spectra of benzyl alcohol adsorption and O2-TPD. Based on the catalytic and characterization results, the superior reactivity of Pd/graphene in the aerobic oxidation of aromatic alcohols is attributed to the promotion role of graphene support in the adsorption of reactant alcohol and oxygen.

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► Palladium supported on graphene as active catalyst for aerobic oxidation of aromatic alcohols.
► Graphene promotes the adsorption of aromatic alcohols through π-electron interaction.
► Graphene promotes oxygen adsorption due to oxygen spill-over from palladium sites to graphene.