Recovering palladium from its surplus complexes in research laboratories by solid state thermal treatment

Abstract

The residue of heating to 900 °C in dynamic air atmosphere palladium coordination/organometallic complexes that do not contain P-donor ligands is Pd in purity close to 95%. This is a suitable method for recovering palladium from excess samples produced in research laboratories. When P-containing ligands, free or coordinated to palladium, are included in the blend of complexes subjected to this oxidant thermal treatment, unexpected inhibition of PdO formation takes place. A thorough study of the thermal decomposition in air of Pd complexes described to date supports the general trends reported here.