Gallium‐Based Eutectic Alloys as Liquid Electron Donors to Ruthenium Single‐Atom Catalysts for Selective Hydrogenation of Vanillin

作者：Jia Song, Jianuo Liu, Xiaorong Zhu, Xiaoming Mou, Handuo Zheng, Huang Zhou, Wenyu Wang, Yong Guan, Jun Tang, Yue Lin, Lirong Zheng, Tao Yao, Juncai Dong, Shiqiang Wei, Weixin Huang, Lin Gu, Jun Luo, Yafei Li, Yafei Zhao, Yuen Wu · 发表于：Angewandte Chemie International Edition · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1002/anie.202505073 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Catalysis for Biomass Conversion、Catalysis and Hydrodesulfurization Studies、Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion

Abstract Tuning the catalytic pathways of atomically dispersed single‐atom catalysts (SAC) has emerged as an effective strategy to optimize their overall catalytic activity. Herein, we present Ru 1 @m‐tube, a hollow carbon nitride‐supported Ru SAC, coated with eutectic galinstan (GaInSn), as a model catalyst, we demonstrate a performance inversion in vanillin conversion. Vanillin, as a biomass‐derived compound with industrial relevance, presents challenges in catalytic hydrogenation, making it an ideal model reaction to test and compare the catalyst's selectivity and efficiency. The as‐obtained Ru 1 @m‐tube(GaInSn) achieved nearly 100% vanillin conversion within 5 h and exhibited an impressive 93.8% selectivity for vanillyl alcohol. Electron spillover from gallium‐based eutectic alloys to highly diluted ruthenium sites enhances the desorption of vanillyl alcohol, resulting in an exceptional performance shift between hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation. Our findings not only offer a novel approach for modulating SAC performance via liquid–metal interfaces but also expand the understanding of promoter screening for various challenging reactions.