【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】The Low-Carbon Research Institute of State Energy Group has developed a new type of multiphase platinum-based catalytic system, achieving a key breakthrough in the conversion of coal-derived aromatics into high-value products

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A key breakthrough has been achieved in the field of high-value conversion of coal-based aromatics. 2026-03-02 15:55 · **Voice of Energy** On February 25th, researchers from the European Research Institute, which is part of the Group’s Research Institute for Science and Technology (Low-Carbon Institute), published a research paper titled “Highly selective and practical hydrogenation of functionalized (hetero) arenes” in Nature Communications, a journal under the Nature portfolio, as the lead authors of this study. The project team developed a novel multiphase platinum-based catalytic system that enables highly stereoselective hydrogenation of polysubstituted and functionalized (hetero)arenes under mild reaction conditions. This approach overcomes the key technical challenges associated with the efficient conversion of complex aromatic systems and precise control of their structure, providing a universal technical solution for the deep transformation of coal-derived (hetero)aromatic resources and the efficient synthesis of high-value products such as fine chemicals and green materials. Aromatics and heteroaromatics are widely present in coal tar and products derived from the direct liquefaction of coal; they serve as important basic raw materials for the high-end development of the coal chemical industry chain. In collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Germany, the research team developed a novel heterogeneous platinum-based catalytic system that enables broad-spectrum and highly stereoselective hydrogenation of polyfunctionalized aromatics and heteroaromatics under mild conditions, facilitating the efficient synthesis of a series of high-value products with three-dimensional molecular frameworks. By combining quantum chemical calculations with studies on catalytic reaction kinetics, it was systematically demonstrated that platinum nanoparticles with a bilayer structure serve as active sites for aromatic ring hydrogenation reactions. At the same time, this catalytic system exhibits excellent substrate versatility and functional group compatibility, enabling the efficient hydrogenation of 42 types of polyfunctional substituted (hetero)arenes; moreover, the scale-up synthesis of a new type of green and environmentally friendly plasticizer was successfully demonstrated in the laboratory. This study overcomes the long-standing technical challenges in the stereoselective hydrogenation of polysubstituted (hetero)arenes. It not only provides a key technical foundation for the high-value conversion of coal tar and directly liquefied coal products, but also opens up new pathways for the efficient and green synthesis of chemicals with three-dimensional molecular frameworks. Through systematic research ranging from molecular-level mechanism studies to process scale-up, this achievement provides a solid theoretical foundation for the development of green, efficient, and sustainable catalytic conversion technologies for coal-based aromatics. It also offers important technical support for the advancement of the coal chemical industry in terms of higher quality, greater diversity, and lower carbon emissions within energy groups.