Fabrication of SBA-15-Supported Nanoscale Co3O4 and Its Use in the Catalytic Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde

Nanoscale Co3O4 has successfully been supported onto the mesoporous SBA-15 following two methods viz. direct deposition (DD) and isonicotinate ligand assisted (INL) route. The later method (INL) involves the formation of cobalt isonicotinate tetrahydrate complex inside mesopore volumes of SBA-15 and subsequent calcination of the cobalt complex loaded SBA-15 composite. The present method is found to be advantageous in reducing the formation of oxide particles outside mesopores. The synthesized materials are investigated by various physical tools such as XRD, SEM, TEM and H2-TPR in combination with N2 adsorption-desorption study. As a promoter, little amount of gold is also deposited in SBA-15 supported Co3O4 samples and all these materials are explored as catalysts in the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde. The composite material that is synthesized via DD method has shown promising results in the hydrogenation reaction giving 50% cinnamaldehyde (CAL) conversion with 66% selectivity for hydrocinnamaldehyde (HCAL) at 170°C under the hydrogen pressure of 2 MPa.