A Pt–Mn–Al trimetallic nanoporous catalyst for reversible hydrogenation/oxidative dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles

Abstract

An unsupported trimetallic nanoporous catalyst PtMnAlNPore was developed as an efficient catalyst for hydrogenation/oxidative dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles. The catalyst showed 92% yield with 100% selectivity for the hydrogenation of quinolines into 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines (py-THQs) and 95% yield with 96% selectivity for the oxidative dehydrogenation of py-THQs into quinolines. SEM and XPS revealed a unique nanoporous structure and the electron interactions between the metallic elements of PtMnAlNPore. The excellent hydrogen-activation ability and oxygen-activation ability were identified as intrinsic to the outstanding activity of PtMnAlNPore in the dual catalytic process. PtMnAlNPore has a stable structure and can be reused several times without loss of activity. This study demonstrated the exceptional catalytic performance of PtMnAlNPore in hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles, presenting new possibilities for the application of PtMnAlNPore in the field of catalysis.