Unravelling the effect of Lewis acid properties of the support on the performance of palladium based catalyst in hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis reactions

• A green Pd/B(OH)3 catalyst was synthesized and characterized.
• Catalytic performance was evaluated in the hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds and hydrogenolysis of aromatic alcohols.
• Synergism between activity of metal and Lewis acidity of the support.
• Pd/B(OH)3 catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance for hydrogenation of benzyl alcohol.

A catalyst, Pd/B(OH)3, based on the cheap and environmentally friendly support, was synthesized by using the impregnation method with the aim of investigating the Lewis acid effect on hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis reactions. The sample was reduced at 353 K under hydrogen flowing and characterized by various physico-chemical techniques, such as BET, TPR, XRD, TEM, FESEM and XPS. Its catalytic performance, in hydrogenation reactions of carbonyls and hydrogenolysis of aromatic alcohols, carried out at 0.1 MPa H2 pressure and 323 K, was investigated. It was demonstrated that Pd/B(OH)3 is active using cyclohexane as solvent and the reactivity depends on the steric hindrance of the substrate. Conversely, in ethanol, boric acid dissolves and does not influence catalytic reactions.

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