Synergistic Effect in Ir- or Pt-Doped Ru Nanoparticles: Catalytic Hydrogenation of Carbonyl Compounds under Ambient Temperature and H2 Pressure

Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)-stabilized Ir- or Pt-doped (10 at. %) Ru NPs with the average diameters of 1.3–1.5 nm (RuIr or RuPt) were prepared by a coreduction of the corresponding metal precursors. RuIr and RuPt showed remarkable activity for the hydrogenation of aromatic, cyclic, and aliphatic carbonyl compounds at 30 °C under 0.2 MPa of H2, whereas the monometallic NPs of Ru, Ir, and Pt did not show any activity under the same conditions. In particular, RuPt converted the aliphatic aldehyde and cyclohexanone to the corresponding alcohols at 30 °C under atmospheric H2 pressure. Remarkable synergistic effects were ascribed to the provision of highly active sites for H2 and enhancement of the nucleophilicity of the adsorbed hydrides.