Highly efficient platinum nano-particles decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Pt/MWCNTs) catalyst for catalytic hydrogenation of styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) copolymer

This study presents the practical synthesis of platinum nanoparticle decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Pt/MWCNTs) catalysts and their novel use in hydrogenating styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) triblock copolymers. The Pt/MWCNTs catalyst exhibited remarkable activity and selectivity in fully hydrogenating the polystyrene and polybutadiene segments within a styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) triblock copolymer. The characterizations proved that the Pt/MWCNTs catalyst possesses well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles with a large specific surface area (159.5501 m2/g). Additionally, the catalyst is with a mesoporous structure. As a result, the catalytic hydrogenation of SBS using a Pt/MWCNTs catalyst achieves a high degree of hydrogenation, with 100 % selectivity towards the polystyrene and polybutadiene blocks in the SBS triblock copolymer at 180 °C after 9 h. The Pt/MWCNTs catalyst was characterized via SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XRD, XPS, Raman, TG, and BET. Simultaneously, the SBS and cyclic block copolymer (CBC) were characterized via GPC, FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and TG. In this work, Pt/MWCNTs catalyst with high activity and selectivity is developed for unsaturated polymer hydrogenation.