Creation of a Highly Active Small Cu-Based Catalyst Derived from Copper Aluminium Layered Double Hydroxide Supported on α-Al O for Acceptorless Alcohol Dehydrogenation.

A highly dispersed carbonate-intercalated Cu -Al layered double hydroxide (CuAl LDH) was created on an unreactive α-Al O surface (CuAl LDH@α-Al O ) via a simple coprecipitation method of Cu and Al under alkaline conditions in the presence of α-Al O . A highly reducible CuO nanoparticles was generated, accompanied by the formation of CuAl O on the surface of α-Al O (CuAlO@α-Al O ) after calcination at 1073 K in air, as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Cu K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). The structural changes during the progressive heating process were monitored by using in-situ temperature-programmed synchrotron XRD (tp-SXRD).