Preparation, characterization and catalytic activity of palladium nanoparticles encapsulated in SBA-15

A simple adsorption method was studied for the preparation of SBA-15-encapsulated palladium nanoparticles. This method employed the SBA-15 with organic template removed by ethanol extraction for the adsorption of cationic Pd precursors in alkaline solution followed by calcination and H-2 reduction. The pH of the solution was found to be a critical factor in determining the palladium content and the ordered mesoporous structure. Our characterizations revealed that the Pd nanoparticles prepared by this method were located inside the mesoporous channels and were quite uniform in size (mostly 3-4 nm). The SBA-15-encapsulated uniform Pd nanoparticles were efficient catalysts for solvent-free aerobic oxidation of alcohols.