Synthesis of monometallic macrostructured catalysts for bromate reduction in a continuous catalytic system

The last few years have seen great leaps in the use of mechano-chemically modified carbon nanotubes in catalysis. While high improvements in catalytic performance have been achieved, the nature of the technique is not compatible with typical strategies for CNT coating of macro-structured catalysts by chemical vapour deposition. Developing macro-structured catalysts is a key step towards the sustainability of multi-phase catalysis and requires a methodology for coating with mechano-chemical modified CNT metallic catalysts. Preparing water-based slurries is not straightforward due to the CNT's hydrophobicity, and the use of organic solvents is unsustainable. A novel methodology for the washcoating of macro-structures with pre-modified monometallic CNT catalysts was assessed. A compromise between surfactant use, post-coating treatment, and the catalyst activity/integrity, was achieved by solubilization of the surfactant in a isopropanol:acetone mixture. The activity of the prepared catalysts was affected by the metallic dispersion, surfactant coverage, and distribution of the palladium throughout the catalytic layer. Palladium centres in the bottommost layers were found to be unavailable for liquid phase reaction. The activity of the catalysts prepared with pre-formed carbon monometallic powders was improved by adopting a coating strategy to maximize the availability of the metallic particles near the surface of the catalytic layer.

Automated summary

In recent years, mechano-chemically modified carbon nanotubes have been widely used in catalysis, but their compatibility with traditional coating methods is limited. This study proposes a novel method for coating macro-structured catalysts with pre-modified monometallic CNT catalysts, using a solution of surfactant to achieve catalyst-binding. The activity of the prepared catalysts is influenced by factors such as metallic dispersion, surfactant coverage, and distribution of the palladium throughout the catalytic layer.