Synergistic Effect of Segregated Pd and Au Nanoparticles on Semiconducting SiC for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes.

Efficient catalytic hydrogenation of nitroarenes to anilines with molecular hydrogen at room temperature is still a challenge. In this study, this transformation was achieved by using a photocatalyst of SiC-supported segregated Pd and Au nanoparticles. Under visible-light irradiation, the nitrobenzene hydrogenation reached a turnover frequency as high as 1715 h at 25 °C and 0.

Visible-Light-Driven Selective Photocatalytic Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde over Au/SiC Catalysts.

Highly selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol with 2-propanol was achieved using SiC-supported Au nanoparticles as photocatalyst. The hydrogenation reached a turnover frequency as high as 487 h(-1) with 100% selectivity for the production of alcohol under visible light irradiation at 20 °C. This high performance is attributed to a synergistic effect of localized surface plasmon resonance of Au NPs and charge transfer across the SiC/Au interface.