PdPt Alloy Nanocatalysts Supported on TiO₂ : Maneuvering Metal-Hydrogen Interactions for Light-Driven and Water-Donating Selective Alkyne Semihydrogenation

Low power consumption and minimal potential hazards are ultimate goals for the modern development of chemical manufacturing; however, it often reduces the selectivity of chemical reactions by implementing a new reaction system. A nanocatalyst design is reported for achieving efficient and selective alkyne semihydrogenation through the photocatalytic hydrogen transfer from water, which avoids the use of a heat source and explosive H₂ . The PdPt catalytic sites that are implemented on the TiO₂ photocatalyst hold the key to achieving both high activity and selectivity. As compared with pure Pd or Pt, the alloy cocatalysts can better harness H diffusion/desorption for selective semihydrogenation as well as suppress competitive H₂ evolution. This work opens up new possibilities for green and selective alkyne semihydrogenation and highlights the importance of lattice engineering to catalytic selectivity.