Highly dispersed Pd-Ru bimetallic nanoparticles immobilized on N‑doped micro-mesoporous carbon for efficient catalytic hydrogenation of pyridine under mild conditions

Abstract

The synergistic effects in bimetallic catalysts drive significant interest for hydrogenation catalysis. In this work, a series of Pd-Ru bimetallic catalysts supported on N-doped porous carbon were synthesized, with the optimized Ru₁Pd₁/NPC-1 exhibiting outstanding pyridine hydrogenation performance. Quantitative conversion was achieved under mild reaction (room temperature, H₂ balloon pressure), accompanied by remarkable substrate adaptability and recyclability. The introduced N species and hierarchical porous structure in the NPC carrier synergistically facilitate the dispersion and stabilization of metal nanoparticles, thereby forming highly dispersed metallic clusters with exceptional structural robustness. Furthermore, the formation of a Pd-Ru bimetallic alloy establishes novel active centers that strengthen reactant adsorption and activation, ultimately leading to superior catalytic activity. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations corroborate that the bimetallic system exhibits optimized adsorption energy and accelerated piperidine desorption efficiency. These results establish a foundation for designing stable and efficient metallic catalysts enabling sustainable pyridine conversion.