Facile one-pot synthesis of MOF supported gold pseudo-single-atom catalysts for hydrogenation reactions

Abstract

Catalysts based on extremely small (single atoms or pseudo single atoms) noble metals can lead to much more efficient use through enhanced reactivity and selectivity. However, fabrication of practical and stable (pseudo) single-atom catalysts on various supports remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a facile co-precipitation and conversion strategy to fabricate a series of gold pseudo single-atom supported metal organic framework catalysts (PSAC Au/MOF) on a large scale. By well controlled synthesis of precursors, up to 1.0 wt% surface clean Au atoms can be atomically dispersed and stabilized on the support. The PSAC Au/MOF exhibited superior catalytic activity in hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol, exceeding the turnover frequency of most reported catalysts by more than one order of magnitude. No obvious decline in activity was observed after 5 cycles.