Anchoring Pd nanoparticles on MOF-303-derived N-doped carbon for enhanced H2 production from formic acid dehydrogenation

In this work, ultrasmall Pd nanoparticles (NPs) with a mean size of 4.1 nm immobilized by the MOF-303-derived N-doped carbon (NDC) have been prepared for efficient formic acid (FA) dehydrogenation. The optimized catalyst Pd@KNDC(10-900) showed the extraordinary catalytic activity, and the initial turnover frequency (TOF) value is 2215 h−1 at 50 °C, accompanied by 100 % FA conversion and H2 selectivity, facilitated by the incorporation of sodium formate (SF) as an additive. Moreover, the Pd@KNDC(10-900) could maintain an outstanding stability enduring through five successive runs with only a marginal reduction in activity. The robust synergistic interactions between Pd NPs and N sites on the KNDC(900) together with the ultrafine size and high dispersion of Pd NPs as the catalytic active sites are responsible for the superior catalytic performance. This work will provide a new paradigm by using the MOF-derived NDC supports for the construction of Pd-based catalysts for FA dehydrogenation.