We reported here a strategy to use a defective nanodiamond-graphene (ND@G) to prepare an atomically dispersed metal catalyst, i.e., in the current case atomically dispersed palladium catalyst which is used for selective hydrogenation of acetylene in the presence of abundant ethylene. The catalyst exhibits remarkable performance for the selective conversion of acetylene to ethylene: high conversion (100%), ethylene selectivity (90%), and good stability. The unique structure of the catalyst (i.e., atomically dispersion of Pd atoms on graphene through Pd–C bond anchoring) blocks the formation of unselective subsurface hydrogen species and ensures the facile desorption of ethylene against the overhydrogenation to undesired ethane, which is the key for the outstanding selectivity of the catalyst.

The design of cheap, non-toxic, and earth-abundant transition metal catalysts for selective hydrogenation of alkynes remains a challenge in both industry and academia. Here, we report a new atomically dispersed copper (Cu) catalyst supported on a defective nanodiamond-graphene (ND@G), which exhibits excellent catalytic performance for the selective conversion of acetylene to ethylene, i.e., with high conversion (95%), high selectivity (98%), and good stability (for more than 60 h). The unique structural feature of the Cu atoms anchored over graphene through Cu-C bonds ensures the effective activation of acetylene and easy desorption of ethylene, which is the key for the outstanding activity and selectivity of the catalyst.

Atomically dispersed Pt clusters and single-site Sn are fabricated together on the coreshell nanodiamond@graphene (ND@G) hybrid support (a-PtSn/ND@G). This unique atomically dispersed Pt clusters can dramatically inhibit the side reactions and present excellent catalytic performance in direct dehydrogenation of n-butane at 450 °C, with >98% selectivity toward olefin products, in comparison with that of Al2O3 supported Pt3Sn alloy nanoparticles (Pt3Sn/Al2O3), due to the efficient utilization of Pt atoms and facile desorption of olefin. The combined results of density functional theory (DFT) calculation, HAADF-STEM and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) results provide substantial insights that Pt clusters can be atomically dispersed and stabilized on the ND@G support by the assistance of single-site Sn species as a diluent agent and by the formation of Pt-C bond between Pt clusters and defective graphene nanoshell.