Abstract
Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) composed of transition metals and post‐transition metals function as superior heterogeneous catalysts in comparison to their monometallic and bimetallic alloy counterparts. Rendering IMCs in their nanomaterial iterations further enhances their efficiency. Herein, we demonstrate the role of PdIn as well‐dispersed intermetallic nanoparticles (IMNPs) for the semihydrogenation of phenylacetylene selectively to styrene at ambient conditions. Higher selectivity of PdIn was explained with the help DOS calculations. We have explored the role of a few well‐known silica‐based supports such as SBA‐15 and MCM‐41, providing insight into how they affect catalysis. As an additional support we have explored previously reported JNC‐1, a mesoporous carbon material obtained via a templated strategy using SBA‐15. PdIn supported on SBA‐15 and JNC‐1 displayed the best dispersion, while also exhibiting the most catalytic activity due to the unique nature of the porous structure.
Isolation of active Pd metal in PdIn enhances the activity towards semihydrogenation of phenylacetylene and selective formation of styrene. Further, PdIn encapsulated on SBA‐15 and JNC‐1 showed remarkable activity towards the conversion of phenylacetylene to styrene compared to other supports such as MCM‐41 and SiO2, suggesting that an optimum structural design is crucial for the best activity. Control studies also confirm the role of single atom sites in the catalytic activity.