The development of highly efficient nanocatalysts toward low-temperature glucose hydrogenation is still challenging but extremely desirable for underutilized biomass upgrading. Here, we develop LN1–xCxO-R catalysts, comprising NiCo nanoalloys supported on defective La2O3, derived from the controlled reduction of LaNi1–xCoxO3 perovskites. Combined experimental studies and density functional theory calculations reveal interfacial charge transfer between the NiCo alloy and La2O3. The resulting electron-deficient NiCo sites favor the facile dissociation of H2, while the electron-rich La2O3 support, enriched with oxygen vacancies, facilitates glucose adsorption and activation–collectively accelerating its conversion to sorbitol. Among the series, LN0.8C0.2O-R enables the efficient low-temperature hydrogenation of biomass-derived sugars, achieving a sorbitol productivity of 4.31 gSor gCat–1 h–1 and selectivity of 97.9% at 80 °C. This interfacial synergistic approach offers valuable insights for the rational design of high-performance heterojunction catalysts for low-temperature biomass conversion.
Fan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.