New Strategy for High-Performance Integrated Catalysts for Cracking Hydrocarbon Fuels

In this study, we described the synthesis, characterization, and application of hyperbranched polymer-encapsulated metal nanoparticles (HEMNs) as integrated catalysts for the supercritical cracking of hydrocarbon fuels. The metal precursor was extracted into the organic phase using a hydrocarbon-soluble hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) (CPAMAM) and then reduced in situ by NaBH₄ to produce HEMNs with virtually a single-size distribution. The monitoring of the preparation process by UV-vis demonstrated the feasibility of this encapsulation approach, and the successful synthesis of three different types of HEMNs, metal (Pd, Pt, Au)@CPAMAM, reflected the universality of this method. Compared with the existing catalyst octadecylamine-stabilized Pd nanoparticle, Pd@18N, HEMNs were superior in every aspect. The new encapsulation method allowed metal NPs to have a smaller particle size beneficial to their overall specific surface area and a higher proportion of active surface atoms for a better catalytic activity. Moreover, the space-limiting effect of the polymer allowed the three HEMNs to be highly dispersed in decalin and exhibited admirable stability under storage tests for up to 12 months and high-temperature stability tests at 180 °C. During the supercritical cracking of decalin, Pd@CPAMAM possessed a much better catalytic performance than Pd@18N and CPAMAM (which can also be used as a macroinitiator). To obtain the same heat sink of 3.02 MJ/kg, the temperature could be lowered from 725 to 701, 693, and 699 °C for Pd, Pt, and Au HEMNs, respectively. Pt HEMN turned out to be the best due to its excellent catalytic dehydrogenation/cracking performance, with the conversion of decalin increasing from 22.3 to 50.7% and the heat sink rising from 2.18 to 2.62 MJ/kg with the existence of 50 ppm Pt@CPAMAM, at 675 °C. The significant enhancements were ascribed to the synergistic catalysis through the remarkable abilities of nanometals to catalyze dehydrogenation/cracking of fuel, the supercritical stabilization effects from CPAMAM, and the initiation effects of the hyperbranched polymer CPAMAM.