Palladium nanoparticles embedded in the inner surfaces of carbon nanotubes: synthesis, catalytic activity, and sinter resistance

Abstract

The highly efficient preparation of metal nanoparticles embedded in a carbon nanotube remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we report a simple and template-based procedure for the fabrication of carbon nanotubes with Pd nanoparticles uniformly embedded in the inner carbon surfaces. In addition to the novel structure, the sinter-resistance of the as-prepared Pd/C nanocomposite was much better than that of the traditional carbon-nanotube-supported Pd catalysts. The as-prepared Pd/C nanocomposite has a high recyclability in a liquid-phase Suzuki coupling reaction. This strategy may be extended as a general approach to prepare metal nanoparticles supported on carbon-nanotubes.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes; heterogeneous catalysis; nanoparticles; palladium; sinter resistance.