Interfacial charge distributions in carbon-supported palladium catalysts

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis Science
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Optimizing catalyst performance relies on controlling charge transfer between catalyst supports and active metal phases.
• While well-understood for oxide supports, charge transfer phenomena in carbon-supported catalysts are complex and less understood due to carbon's nanoscale structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between interfacial charge distribution and catalytic performance in palladium on carbon (Pd/C) model catalysts.
• To elucidate the electronic and surface chemistry effects influencing the selectivity of palladium nanoparticles in hydrogenation reactions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized advanced spectroscopy and microscopy techniques on model Pd/C samples.
• Decoupled electronic effects from surface chemistry to understand their impact on catalytic activity.
• Investigated the influence of thermal treatments on interfacial charge distribution.

Main Results:

• Established a correlation between charge distribution at the palladium-carbon interface and the selectivity for hydrogenation of multifunctional chemicals.
• Demonstrated that electronic effects significantly impact the performance of even large palladium particles (~5 nm).
• Showed that thermal treatments can effectively tune interfacial charge distribution.

Conclusions:

• Interfacial charge distribution is a critical factor in designing efficient carbon-supported metal catalysts.
• Thermal treatments offer a viable strategy for rationally tuning catalyst properties and enhancing hydrogenation performance.