Electrochemical Semi-Hydrogenation and Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Organics over Pd@C: A Universal and Sustainable Route to High-Value Aromatic Derivatives

Electrochemical selective hydrogenation to produce alkenes is a green and sustainable alternative to traditional thermal catalytic processes, which typically rely on high-pressure hydrogen and are prone to over-hydrogenation. Herein, we report a charcoal-supported palladium catalyst (Pd@C) prepared via a facile electrodeposition method. This catalyst exhibits excellent activity and selectivity for the electrochemical selective hydrogenation of phenylacetylene to styrene over a wide pH range. This work provides a scalable and environmentally friendly route for the production of high-value styrene, and expands the application of carbon-supported noble metal catalysts in electrochemical organic synthesis. The electrochemical strategy has also been successfully applied to the electrochemical hydrogenation of benzaldehyde.