Fibrous nano-silica supported palladium nanoparticles: An efficient catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol under mild conditions

In this study, a fibrous nano-silica supported palladium nanocatalyst (Pd/KCC-1), which features with easy accessibility of active sites and high catalytic activity, was synthesized by a simple, cost-effective procedure. The Pd/KCC-1 nanocatalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous solution under mild condition. The unique dendritic fibrous morphology of the support led to the poor aggregation of the Pd nanoparticles and dramatically increased its accessibility. The easy accessibility and excellent catalytic activity demonstrated by the Pd/KCC-1 nanocatalyst make it a promising candidate for various Pd-based catalytic applications. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.