Carbon-silica composites supported Pt as catalyst for asymmetric hydrogenation of ethyl 2-oxo-4-phenylbutyrate

Mesoporous carbon-silica composites supported Pt nanoparticle catalysts (Pt/MCS) were firstly applied to the heterogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation of ethyl 2-oxo-4-phenylbutyrate (EOPB). A series of different silica contents were investigated in the fabrication of this mesoporous material. When the volume of added tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) during the preparation of composites is 8 mL, Pt/MCS-8 holds carbon and silica as the main components and possesses relatively strong acidity, mesoporous structures with micropores, appropriate Pt nanoparticle size and high dispersibility showing by XRD, XPS, TPD, N-2 sorption and TEM. These properties cause its good catalytic performance in the heterogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation of EOPB with the enantiomeric excess value and conversion up to 85.6% and 97.8%, respectively.