However, developing effective catalysts for this transformation is challenging, because hydrogenation of the carbon-carbon group is thermodynamically favoured.  These systems are generally incapable of significantly enhancing the selectivity towards thermodynamically unfavoured reactions, because only the edges of nanoparticles that are in direct contact with the metal-oxide support possess selective catalytic properties; most of the exposed nanoparticle surfaces do not.  Calculations reveal that preferential interaction of MOF metal sites with the carbon-oxygen rather than the carbon-carbon group renders hydrogenation of the former by the embedded platinum nanoparticles a thermodynamically favoured reaction. 
THERM