Tuning the selectivity of Pt-catalyzed tandem hydrogenation of nitro compounds via controllable NiO decoration by atomic layer deposition

In this work, we report an efficient strategy for controllable decoration of CNTs supported Pt catalysts with NiO by atomic layer depositon (ALD). The number of NiO ALD cycle has a significant effect on the catalytic activity and selectivity of Pt/CNTs catalyst for the tandem hydrogenation of nitro compounds to aromatic amines. Suitable amount of NiO decoration (e.g., 10-cycle NiO) could simultaneously improve the activity and selectivity of Pt/CNTs catalyst. The ALD deposited NiO species contact with Pt nanoparticles, providing unique surface structure and targeted Pt electronic properties for chemoselective tandem hydrogenation of nitro compounds.