Selective Deposition of Palladium Nanoparticles inside the Bimodal Porosity of β-SiC Investigated by Electron Tomography

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a ceramic material that has received intensive consideration during the past decade owing to its attractive properties and the diversity of its applications, ranging from microelectronics to catalysis. In particular, new beta-SiC materials with high specific Surface area are of great interest to the area of industrial catalysis. The aim of the present article is to report the direct visualization of the porous network of beta-SiC in a nanometer range using the ability of electron tomography (ET) but also to determine the precise localization of active phases with respect to the porosity of this support. Focus is set on the use of ET to get more insight about the filling mode during sample preparation and, finally, the dispersion and accessibility of the active phase. Thus, an intensive study of the impact of the impregnation solvents on the active phase localization has also been carried out and selective deposition of the active phase within the porous network of SiC is evidenced. In addition, the catalytic activity and selectivity of the synthesized samples were compared toward the liquid phase hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde.