Preparation of Pt/γ-Al2O3-C heterogeneous catalyst for highly selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde towards cinnamyl alcohol

A Pt/γ-Al2O3-C heterogeneous catalyst with improved catalytic performance was successfully prepared. Bayberry tannin(BT), an abundant natural plant polyphenol, was utilized to modifiy the surface of the γ-Al2O3 matrix and then stabilize Pt nanoparticles(NPs). The catalyst was systematically and specifically characterized by a collection of analytic tools including XRD, XPS, FTIR, TEM, and TG. It was found that the Pt NPs were envenly dispered on the γ-Al2O3-C matrix. Meanwhile, when the catalyst was applied for selective hydrogenation of cinnamalde-hyde(CMA) in the presence of KOH promoter in solvent, excellent catalytic performance was obtained. The selectivity to cinnamyl alcohol(CMO) reached 97.88% with 88.45% CMA conversion within 30 min in the presence of 0.037 mol/L KOH, without significant loss of catalytic activity even under cyclic measurements for 5 times. The excellent catalytic performances should be ascribed predominantly to the uniform and stable dispersion of Pt NPs on the γ-Al2O3-C matrix and the excellent heat stability of BT.