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Synergistic Catalysis over Ru–Pd/Al2O3 Catalysts with Dual-Active Sites for Highly Selective Hydrogenation of Phthalic Anhydride to Hexahydrophthalide
Original title: Synergistic Catalysisover Ru–Pd/Al2O3 Catalysts with Dual-ActiveSites for Highly SelectiveHydrogenation of Phthalic Anhydride to Hexahydrophthalide
Summary
Scientists developed a new catalyst that efficiently converts a chemical from plastic production into a building block for a special type of plastic that can be chemically recycled and broken down, rather than piling up in landfills or breaking into microplastics. This matters because reducing plastic waste and microplastic pollution could help limit our exposure to these particles, which have been found in human blood, organs, and even brain tissue, with potential but not yet fully understood health risks. While this research is a chemistry breakthrough rather than a direct health study, it points toward more sustainable plastic alternatives that could reduce environmental and bodily accumulation of plast
Chemically recyclable polyester based on hexahydrophthalide is a kind of green solution to plastic pollution and resource waste. However, it is a challenge to produce hexahydrophthalide by selective hydrogenation of phthalic anhydride, in which multiple reducible functional groups need to be regulated to achieve dominant selectivity of hexahydrophthalide. In this work, ruthenium–palladium bimetallic catalysts with low Pd loading (about 0.06 wt %) were prepared by different methods and applied in the hydrogenation of phthalic anhydride to hexahydrophthalide. The synthesized Ru–Pd/Al2O3–IM catalyst via impregnation and Ru–Pd@Al2O3–SM catalyst via spray were characterized by XRD, TEM, EMPA, and XPS, which collectively confirmed the coexistence of Pd species and RuPd (Ruδ+) species in the Ru10–Pd1/Al2O3–IM catalyst. The synergistic effect of dual-active sites between Pd species and RuPd species brought about good catalytic performance, with 98.5% conversion of phthalic anhydride and 98.2% selectivity of hexahydrophthalide, as well as outstanding stability after 80 h at 3 MPa H2 and 160 °C. The hydrogenation pathway of phthalic anhydride was proposed by a series of experiments of the hydrogenations of intermediates (phthalide, hexahydrophthalic anhydride, tetrahydrophthalic anhydride). This study highlights the importance of the preparation method for a bimetallic catalyst and the cooperative mechanism for hydrogenation of phthalic anhydride.