Heterogeneous catalysts supported on different activated carbons. These products are solid materials made up of a fine dispersion of palladium particles on powdered activated carbon substrates with different origin and characteristics.
Palladium particles are anchored on the activated carbon surface via an SMSI (Strong Metal Support Interaction) bond, which is formed between the platinum precursor coordination sphere and the oxygenated functional groups on the carbon surface (SOGs).
The Palladium particles take part in different reactions, in which a heterogeneous Pd catalyst is involved, modifying the reaction kinetics (lowering of activation energy), but without altering the reaction thermodynamics (ΔG).
A peculiar feature of palladium is its strong affinity to Hydrogen, which leads to the formation of the β surface hydride (PdH2). This special property allows Palladium can adsorb hydrogen up to 900 times its own volume.
This explains the widespread use of palladium catalysts in hydrogenation reactions, particularly when a high level of regioselectivity is needed.
