Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Stabilized Au-Pd Bimetallic Nanoalloy as Highly Active and Sustainable Catalytic System for Enhanced Performance in Hydrogenation Reactions

Abstract

Highly efficient heterogeneous bimetallic catalytic system based on the immobilization of Au(0) and Pd(0) nanoparticles onto silica-cellulose substrate are reported. The bimetallic catalytic system exhibited remarkable synergetic effect which increases its activity for hydrogenation reactions as compared to their monometallic analogues. The strong bonding between the organic/inorganic components of the support makes the surface properties of silica-cellulose substrate (SCS) very important for the high dispersibility, thereby suppressing the loss of Au and Pd nanoparticles during catalytic cycles. The novel catalytic system has been well characterized by various techniques like FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX and ICP-AES. The developed methodology is environmentally benign as it offers several advantages like mild reaction conditions, high yields and less reaction time with the added benefit of recyclability.