Sara Ahsan, Sirinada Chanthachaiwat, Alexander Kvit, Siddarth H. Krishna
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide N-Heterocyclic aromatics can reversibly store H 2 through (de)hydrogenation over supported Pd catalysts, but metal nanoparticles often sinter during liquid-phase reactions. Here, we report that the encapsulation of Pd nanoparticles in large-pore zeolites stabilizes Pd catalysts during hydrogenation of N -methylindole (N-MID). Flow reactor studies combined with post-reaction characterizations show that Pd nanoparticles supported on SiO 2 or Al 2 O 3 sinter during hydrogenation of N-MID, while Pd/zeolites (particularly Pd/Beta) retain <2 nm particles, likely by suppressing the chelation and migration of Pd by N-MID. This work highlights the potential of zeolitic voids to suppress metal catalyst deactivation in liquid-phase reactions including H 2 storage in chemical bonds.