Preparation of platinum-containing hydrogenation catalysts supported on thermally reduced graphite oxide

Graphene-like materials with an atomic ratio of C/O > 40 have been prepared by calcination of graphite oxide (C/O = 1.46) in an inert atmosphere. Platinum nanoparticles (average size of ~2.0 nm) have been deposited onto the surface of the materials from an aqueous solution of H2PtCl6 · xH2O in the presence of pyridine. These particles catalyze the liquid-phase hydrogenation of PhNO2 to PhNH2 and that of the double bonds in 1-decene and styrene. As a support, the defect-containing graphene-like material prepared by calcination of graphite oxide at 1000–1050°C for 3 h has certain advantages over graphite oxide reduced by chemical means or by short-term heating. This material and catalysts supported on it can be formed as “carbon paper” by vacuum filtration.