Engineering of Yolk/Core–Shell Structured Nanoreactors for Thermal Hydrogenations

Abstract

Heterogeneous hydrogenation reactions are of great importance for chemical upgrading and synthesis, but still face the challenges of controlling selectivity and long-term stability. To improve the catalytic performance, many hydrogenation reactions utilize special yolk/core–shell nanoreactors (YCSNs) with unique architectures and advantageous properties. This work presents the developmental and technological challenges in the preparation of YCSNs that are potentially useful for hydrogenation reactions, and provides a summary of the properties of these materials. The work also addresses the scientific challenges in applications of these YCSNs in various gas and liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions. The catalyst structures, catalytic performance, structure–performance relationships, reaction mechanisms, and unsolved problems are discussed too. Also, a brief outlook and opportunities for future research in this field are presented. This work on the advancements in YCSNs might inspire the creation of new materials with desired structures for achieving maximal hydrogenation performances.