Deposition of Pd, Pt, and PdPt Nanoparticles on TiO2 Powder Using Supercritical Fluid Reactive Deposition: Application in the Direct Synthesis of H2O2

Abstract

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.