Enhancing the Activity of Pd on Carbon Nanofibers for Deoxygenation of Amphiphilic Fatty Acid Molecules through Support Polarity

The influence of support polarity on Pd/CNF for the deoxygenation of fatty acids was studied. Catalysts with a low (O/C = 3.5 X 10(-2) at/at from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)) and a high (O/C = 5.9 X 10(-2) at/at from XPS) amount of oxygen containing groups on the support were prepared. The latter were introduced via a HNO3 gas phase oxidation treatment on Pd loaded supports. The presence of oxygen containing groups was beneficial for the activity of Pd for the deoxygenation of the amphiphilic stearic acid. This is attributed to a favorable mode of adsorption of the reactant via the carboxylic acid group on the more polar support in. the vicinity of the catalytically active Pd nanoparticles.