Selective 1,3-butadiene hydrogenation by gold nanoparticles on novel nano-carbon materials

• Graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes were chemically modified by treatment with an aniline derivate or by incorporating nitrogen-adatoms.
• An unusual activity for 1,3-butadiene was obtained with the gold amine functionalized graphene catalyst.
• Different behaviour was observed for the graphene samples after recycling experiments.

Graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes were chemically modified by treatment with an aniline derivate or by incorporating nitrogen-adatoms. These materials were used as supports for gold nanoparticles and the resulting catalytic materials have been applied as catalysts in the 1,3-butadiene hydrogenation reaction. Supports and catalysts were exhaustively characterized by chemical analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric studies, temperature programmed desorption and transmission electron microscopy. The incorporation of nitrogen groups on surfaces modifies the gold precipitation–deposition process, giving place to different nanoparticle sizes and amounts of gold. From the point of view of catalytic behaviour an unusual activity for 1,3-butadiene was obtained with the gold amine functionalized graphene catalyst. The gold nanoparticles supported on graphene modified by p-phenylenediamine are more active than when supported either in the other samples. In particular, gold supported on graphene modified with amine like groups becomes active at near ambient temperatures, which is unusual for gold catalysts. Especially interesting is the variation of the gold catalytic properties, after recycling experiments.

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