High Active Catalyst of the Cu–Ag Bimetal Supported on Defect KTaO₃ Nanosheets for the Selective Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde to Cinnamyl Alcohol

To individually and effectively generate unsaturated alcohols via the hydrogenation of –CO in α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is a challenging reaction. In this investigation, Cu–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles supported on ultrathin KTaO₃ nanosheets were successfully developed as a multifunctional catalyst for the precise hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde (CMA) to cinnamyl alcohol (CMO) under room temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions. The catalyst with the optimal component ratio (Cu₁–Ag₂/5KTaO₃) exhibits 100% conversion of CMA and 100% selectivity for CMO. It reveals that ultrathin KTaO₃ NS offers surface defects and rich Lewis basic sites, which could selectively chemisorb and activate CMA molecules via Ta–OC coordination. The superior catalytic performance for hydrogenation is attributed to the synergistic effect of Cu, Ag, and KTaO₃ NS. This work provides a strategy to guide the design of highly selective catalysts with functional metal sites for the precise hydrogenation of organic compounds containing multiple unsaturated chemical bonds.