Chitosan derived efficient and stable Pd nano-catalyst for high efficiency hydrogenation

The design and development of green and efficient supported catalysts is the frontier direction in the field of green synthesis, which conforms to the strategic concept of green sustainable chemistry and "carbon neutrality". Herein, we used a renewable resource chitosan (CS) derived from seafood wastes of chitin as carriers to design two different chitosan-supported palladium (Pd) nano-catalysts through different activation methods. The Pd particles were firmly and uniformly dispersed on the chitosan microspheres due to the interconnected nanoporous structure and functional groups of chitosan, proved by diverse characterizations. The chitosan supported catalysts (Pd@CS) was applied to hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol, which showed competitive catalytic activity compared to commercial Pd/C, un-supported nano-Pd and Pd(OAc)2 catalysts, as well as excellent catalytic activity, good reusability, long-life and broad applicability in selective hydrogenation of aromatic aldehydes, suggesting potential of applications in green industrial catalysis.