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- Conflict of Interest
- In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.
- Publication history
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Received April 29, 2026
Accepted June 11, 2026
Available online October 25, 2026
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This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits
unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Efficient Hydrogenation Catalysis over Ru Nanoparticles: Investigating the Support Effects of Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis–Derived Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, and SiO2
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-026-00775-3
Abstract
Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) have emerged as promising media for hydrogen storage and transport owing to
their high hydrogen content and compatibility with existing infrastructure. However, the catalytic efficiency of Ru-based
catalysts in LOHC hydrogenation is strongly influenced by the properties of their support materials, which remain insufficiently
explored. In this study, Ru nanoparticles were supported on four different metal oxides (Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, and
SiO2) synthesized via a combined sol–gel and ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) process, providing continuous processes
amenable to large-scale production. The resulting metal oxide supports exhibited diverse physicochemical characteristics,
including variations in surface area, surface hydroxyl group concentration, and metal–support interaction strength. The
Ru-supported catalysts were systematically evaluated for the hydrogenation of monobenzyl toluene (MBT), a model
LOHC compound. Catalytic activity followed the trend: Ru/Al2O3>Ru/TiO2>Ru/SiO2>Ru/ZrO2. The findings reveal
that MBT hydrogenation performance is governed by the synergistic interplay of multiple support characteristics rather
than any single factor. This work provides an informative direction for the rational design of high-performance LOHC
hydrogenation catalysts.
