Effect of Nanoparticle Size in Pt/SiO2 Catalyzed Nitrate Reduction in Liquid Phase

Effect of platinum nanoparticle size on catalytic reduction of nitrate in liquid phase was examined under ambient conditions by using hydrogen as a reducing agent. For the size effect study, Pt nanoparticles with sizes of 2, 4 and 8 nm were loaded silica support. TEM images of Pt nanoparticles showed that homogeneous morphologies as well as narrow size distributions were achieved during the preparation. All three catalysts showed high activity and were able to reduce nitrate below the recommended limit of 50 mg/L in drinking water. The highest catalytic activity was seen with 8 nm platinum; however, the product selectivity for N-2 was highest with 4 nm platinum. In addition, the possibility of PVP capping agent acting as a promoter in the reaction is highlighted.

Automated summary

In this study, the effect of platinum nanoparticle size on the catalytic reduction of nitrate in liquid phase was investigated using hydrogen as a reducing agent under ambient conditions. The results showed that 8 nm platinum nanoparticles exhibited the highest catalytic activity, while 4 nm platinum showed the highest selectivity for N-2 as the product. Additionally, the potential role of PVP capping agent as a promoter in the reaction was highlighted.