Machado, BrunoGomes, HelderSerp, PhilippeKalck, PhilippeFigueiredo, JoséFaria, Joaquim2010-01-192010-01-192008Machado, Bruno; Gomes, Helder; Serp, Philippe; Kalck, Philippe; Figueiredo, José; Faria, Joaquim (2008). Carbon xerogel supported noble metal catalysts for fine chemical applications. In XXI Simpósio Ibero-americano de Catálise. Benalmadena, Málaga, Espanha. p. V107-V114http://hdl.handle.net/10198/1324Carbon xerogel, a mesoporous material, was produced by polycondensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde. A concentrated nitric acid solution was subsequently used to introduce high amounts of oxygenated groups on the surface. The carbon xerogel served as a support for Pt, Ir and Ru monometallic catalysts by using organometallic precursors. The catalysts were tested in the liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol. The introduction of surface groups was important to increase metal dispersion but proved to limit selectivity towards the unsaturated alcohol. After a thermal treatment at 973 K the catalysts showed excellent thermal stability and a narrow metal size distribution. Regarding the catalytic results measured at 50% conversion, Pt catalysts exhibited the highest selectivity to cinnamyl alcohol (73 %) followed by Ir with 65 % and finally Ru with only 32 %.engCarbon xerogelSurface chemistrySelective hydrogenationCinnamaldehydeconference object