Development of egg-shell nano catalysts with porous hollow silica supports for hydrogenation.

Self-synthesized novel porous hollow silica nanoparticles (PHSNs) were applied as supports to prepare egg-shell nano catalysts for hydrogenation. By an impregnation method, different catalytic actives, such as Pd, Ag or Pt, and some promoters could be evenly loaded on the external surface, the pore channels and the internal surface of PHSNs. The prepared egg-shell catalysts were tested for CO hydrogenation and showed both improved activity and selectivity over those catalysts prepared with conventional support materials.