Abstract
For the first time, we attribute the enhancement in catalytic alcohol oxidation activity to the presence of nitrogen heteroatoms on the external surface of a support material surface. The same Pd particles (3.1 – 3.2 nm) were supported on polymeric carbon-nitrogen supports and used as catalysts to selectively oxidize benzyl alcohol. The polymeric carbon-nitrogen materials include covalent triazine frameworks (CTF) and carbon nitride (CN) materials with nitrogen content varying from 9 to 58 atomic percent N. Withcomparable metal exposure, via XPS, the activity of these catalysts correlates with the concentration of nitrogen species on the surface which enhanced the Lewis basicity of these moieties thus promoting alcoholate formation and subsequent hydride abstraction.
