Ultrasmall amorphous metal oxide nanoparticles catalyze polyolefin hydrogenolysis

A method of preparing a catalyst comprising:

• providing a graphene oxide;
• providing a metal containing compound;
• adding the metal containing compound to the graphene oxide to form a plurality of metal oxide hydrate nanoparticles supported on the graphene oxide;
• contacting the plurality of metal oxide hydrate nanoparticles supported on the graphene oxide with a silicon containing compound and a pore structure-directing agent to produce a mesoporous silica-containing shell surrounding the plurality of metal oxide hydrate nanoparticles supported on the graphene oxide, wherein the mesoporous silica-containing shell has an outer surface and an inner surface inside the outer surface, the outer surface having openings leading to pores extending through said mesoporous silica-containing shell to the inner surface;
• and
• calcinating the mesoporous silica-containing shell containing the plurality of metal oxide hydrate nanoparticles supported on graphene oxide to produce a mesoporous silica-containing shell surrounding the plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles, wherein the mesoporous silica-containing shell has an outer surface and an inner surface inside the outer surface, the outer surface having openings leading to pores extending through said mesoporous silica-containing shell to the inner surface;
• wherein the metal oxide is selected from a group consisting of zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium oxide, niobium oxide, cerium oxide, molybdenum oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, and lanthanum oxide.