Metal nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers: Synthesis and application for the hydrogenation reactions

Facile synthesis of ruthenium, palladium and platinum nanoparticles supported on three types of carbon nanofibers (platelet: CNF-P, tubular. CNF-T, herringbone: CNF-H) is accomplished by pyrolysis of ruthenium carbonyl clusters, and pyrolysis and hydrogenolysis of Pd²(dba)³-CHC1 ³ and Pt(dba)² [dba: dibenzylideneacetone). TEM studies of these M/CNFs revealed that size-controlled metal nanoparticles existed on the CNFs, and that of the location was dependent on the surface nanostructures of CNFs: On the edge of the graphite layers (CNF-P), in the tubes and on the surface (CNF-T), and between the layers and on the edge (CNF-H). Among these M/CNFs, the Ru/CNF-P showed excellent catalytic activity towards arene hydrogenation with high reusability and functional group tolerance. The present Ru system is applicable to the production of octahydro-l,l'-binaphthyls by partial hydrogenation of l,l'-binaphthyls. While the Pt/CNF-P behaves as an efficient catalyst for hydrogenation of substituted nitroarenes to the corresponding aniline derivatives with other functional groups remaining intact.