Effective catalytic hydrodechlorination of chlorophenoxyacetic acids over Pd/graphitic carbon nitride

Catalytic hydrodechlorination (HDC) of chlorophenoxyacetic acids was performed over Pd/graphitic carbon nitride (Pd/g-C₃N₄) catalysts in the present work. A series of Pd/g-C₃N₄ catalysts were prepared by a deposition-precipitation method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption–desorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), CO chemisorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Pd/g-C₃N₄ catalysts showed excellent activity to convert dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) into phenoxyacetic acid (PA) and the catalytic activity was correlated with the ratio of Pd²⁺/(Pd⁰ + Pd²⁺) and Pd particle size. In addition, HDC of 2,4-D over Pd/g-C₃N₄ catalyst followed the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model, indicating an adsorption-controlled mechanism. Other chlorophenoxyacetic acids, such as 2-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (2-CPA), 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) could also be completely dechlorinated to PA over Pd/g-C₃N₄ catalysts.