In situ synthesis of Au–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles on amine-functionalized SiO2 for the aqueous-phase hydrodechlorination of chlorobenzene

Abstract

Highly dispersed Au–Pd nanoparticles (NPs) with an average size of ∼3.0 nm were synthesized by in situ reduction of HAuCl₄ and PdCl₂ on an amine-functionalized SiO₂ support. The structural and electronic properties of the Au–Pd NPs were investigated systematically using STEM-EDX, XRD, UV-vis and XPS spectroscopy. It is demonstrated that the composition of the Au–Pd NPs can be tuned by varying the ratio of Au- to Pd-containing salt in solution. In the aqueous-phase hydrodechlorination of chlorobenzene, the Au–Pd NPs showed a much higher activity and chlorine resistance than the monometallic Au and Pd counterparts. The effects of base and solvent on the activity over the supported Au–Pd NPs were also investigated.