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 m 2 /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, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and TG. In this work, Pt/MWCNTs catalyst with high activity and selectivity is developed for unsaturated polymer hydrogenation.