Deposition of Pd, Pt, and PdPt Nanoparticles on TiO₂ Powder Using Supercritical Fluid Reactive Deposition:...

In this study, we investigated the catalytic properties of mono- and bimetallic palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt) nanoparticles deposited via supercritical fluid reactive deposition (SFRD) on titanium dioxide (TiO₂) powder. Transmission electron microscopy analyses verified that SFRD experiments performed at 353 K and 15.6 MPa enabled the deposition of uniform mono- and bimetallic nanoparticles smaller than 3 nm on TiO₂. Electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy demonstrated the formation of alloy-type structures for the bimetallic PdPt nanoparticles. H₂O₂ is an excellent oxidizing reagent for the production of fine and bulk chemicals. However, until today, the design and preparation of catalysts with high H₂O₂ selectivity and productivity remain a great challenge. The focus of this study was on answering the questions of (a) whether the catalysts produced are suitable for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the liquid phase and (b) how the metal type affects the catalytic properties. It was found that the metal type (Pd or Pt) influenced the catalytic performance strongly; the mean productivity of the mono- and bimetallic catalysts decreased in the following order: Pd > PdPt > Pt. Furthermore, all catalysts prepared by SFRD showed a significantly higher mean productivity compared to the catalyst prepared by incipient wetness impregnation.