A novel method for isolation of monodispersed Pd nanoparticles from a reverse microemulsion was developed using hydrocarbon evaporation and methanol-assisted particle purification from a surfactant. Fcc Pd nanoparticles of 6, 8, 11, and 13 nm in diameter were isolated from water/ AOT/isooctane mixture and used to study a size effect during solvent-free hydrogenation of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol to 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol. The initial TOF calculated per mole of surface palladium atoms was duplicated when particle size was increased from 6 to 13 nm but remained constant when accounted per number of specific Pd atoms on Pd(111) facets. Selectivity to olefinic alcohol was not size-dependent, but an increase in particle size decreased the byproduct ratio of dimers to saturated alcohol. Acetylenic alcohol hydrogenation is shown to be a structure-sensitive but size-independent reaction for Pd particles with size of 6–13 nm. The work shows also that the Pd size controlled the reaction rate and the byproduct distribution.
Xile Hu, Lichen Bai, Seunghwa Lee
Basil Duval, Holger Reimerdes, Christian Gabriel Theiler, Artur Perek, Kevin Henricus Annemarie Verhaegh, Mirko Wensing