Two-dimensional ruthenium nanoparticles between graphite layers: The effect of reduction temperature

A mixture of graphite powder and ruthenium chloride (III) anhydrous was treated at 723 K under 0.3 MPa chlorine for 3 days, followed by reduction under 40 kPa of hydrogen for 1 h to produce ruthenium metal particles intercalated between graphite layers (Ru-GIC). The structures of ruthenium particles depended on the reduction temperatures. Sheet-like ruthenium particles with 1–3 nm thickness and 10 to several hundred nm width containing numerous irregularly shaped holes with round edge, were formed by reduction at 573 K. A Ru-GIC sample treated at 653 K possessed two-dimensional ruthenium nanosheets with hexagonal holes (straight lines intersect at an angle of 120°) in a similar range of thickness and width. On the other hand, Ru-GIC samples reduced at 773 and 823 K showed two-dimensional plate morphology with a thickness of 1–4 nm. In addition, ruthenium nanoparticles supported on the graphite surface (Ru/Gmix) were also prepared from a slurry of ruthenium chloride (III) hydrate and graphite powder by impregnation and hydrogen reduction. The ruthenium particles in Ru/Gmix were spherical at about 3.6 nm, and the reduction temperature did not affect their particles size. Both Ru-GIC and Ru/Gmix samples were evaluated for cinnamaldehyde (CAL) hydrogenation in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent at 323 K, and they were active to produce cinnamyl alcohol (COL) and hydrocinnamaldehyde (HAL). However, Ru-GIC samples showed higher COL selectivity than Ru/Gmix prepared at the same reduction temperature, and COL selectivity over Ru-GIC increased with the reduction treatments at 773 and 823 K.