Thermally stable Pd/reduced graphene oxide aerogel catalysts for solvent-free oxidation of benzyl alcohol

• Published in: Chemical physics letters 2020-05, Vol.746, p.137306, Article 137306
• Main Authors: Zhao, Zhiliang, Zhang, Jing, Wang, Yongzhao, Guo, Wenyao, Lv, Lin, Li, Baiyu, Zheng, Kang, Bo, Tingting, Peng, Dengchao, Zhou, Zhiyuan, Zhang, Bingsen, Shao, Lidong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerogel; Benzyl alcohol; Graphene oxide; Pd nanoparticles; Solvent-free oxidation
• ISSN: 0009-2614; 1873-4448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.137306

[Display omitted] •Pd/reduced graphene oxide aerogels with large surfaces and wrinkles are synthesized.•Pd/reduced graphene oxide aerogels enrich oxygen-containing functional groups.•A high proportion of Pd2+ is presented on the Pd/reduced graphene oxide aerogels.•Pd/reduced graphene oxide aerogels display an improved activity compared to the Pd/AC.•PdNPs remained well dispersed on the reacted Pd/reduced graphene oxide aerogels. In this work, Pd/reduced graphene oxide (Pd/RGO) aerogels, with large surface areas and wrinkles, are obtained through the lyophilisation, vacuum and reduction treatments. Pd/RGO aerogels exhibit higher catalytic performances and thermal stability in comparison to the reference catalyst Pd/activated carbon (Pd/AC) in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol. The surface analyses indicate that Pd/RGO aerogels possess a higher proportion of Pd2+ than the Pd/AC catalyst. Meanwhile, the oxygen-containing functional groups can modulate the interaction between palladium and the support to form active phases for the reaction. Moreover, Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) remain well dispersed in nanoscale on the reacted Pd/RGO aerogels.