Catalysis Letters, Vol.118, No.1-2, 86-90, 2007
Catalytic oxidation of polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether to corresponding carboxylic acid by gold, palladium (mono and bimetallic) nanoparticles supported on carbon
Mono and bimetallic catalysts based on Au and Pd nanoparticles were synthesized by sol immobilization method. The catalytic oxidation of polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether was performed using as-synthesized supported catalyst. The use of water as solvent and dioxygen as oxidant makes the reaction interesting from both an economic and environmental point of view. For 100 min, the conversion of polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether using Au-Pd/C bimetallic catalyst was 38%, showing an increase of 9% for Au/C and 15% for Pd/C respectively indicating that a synergetic effect exists between Au and Pd. For the Au-Pd/C catalyst, adding Au after the prior addition and reduction of Pd metal can form the most active catalyst.