Nanoheterogeneous ruthenium-containing catalysts based on dendrimers in the hydrogenation of aromatic compounds under two-phase conditions

Abstract

Nanoheterogeneous catalysts based on ruthenium nanoparticles dispersed in crosslinked dendrimer matrixes with a size of polymer particles of 100–500 nm show high activity in the hydrogenation of aromatic compounds under two-phase conditions. The addition of water to the reaction medium exerts a strong promoting effect on the activity of the catalysts: The turnover frequency increases by a factor of 3–90 depending on the substrate. When bimetallic (PdRu) nanoparticles are incorporated into the catalyst composition, the rate of benzene hydrogenation increases while the rate of transformation of substituted benzenes decreases.