Nitrogen-doped carbon foams with high Pd dispersion for efficient solid phase catalytic hydrogenation of 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene

To solve the problems of hydrogen embrittlement and explosion risk generated by the use of hydrogen energy in large-scale applications, organic hydrogen getters have been used to eliminate hydrogen in sealed systems and related fields. However, the hydrogen absorption rate of existing hydrogen getters needs to be further improved. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) N-doped carbon with interconnected hierarchical pores loaded with a uniform dispersion of palladium particles (6.8 nm) was successfully developed. This material was used as a catalyst for 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene (DEB) hydrogenation under mild conditions, exhibiting good catalytic performance. The hydrogen uptake performance of this Pd/MFC/DEB getter for the reduction of hydrogen gas was examined at 0 – 1 bar and 25 ℃ with hydrogen consumption evaluated with time. The prepared Pd/MFC/DEB getter demonstrated a hydrogen uptake of 212.2 cm3/g after about 20 h, which was significantly higher than that of a typical Pd/AC/DEB pallet getter (162.0 cm3/g). This was due to the interactions between the Pd and MFC support, which enhanced the dispersion of Pd, increased the area available for the reaction with DEB, promoted the hydrogen dissociation process, and improved the hydrogen spillover effect. This research offers a highly promising approach for the use of MFC as a catalyst support material in hydrogen getters.