Highly efficient nanocatalysts supported on hollow polymer nanospheres: Synthesis, characterization, and applications

Hollow polymer nanospheres were employed in the fabrication of noble metal-supported catalysts via a supercritical route. In this method, the metal precursors were first adsorbed on the polymer support in a supercritical CO ₂-ethanol solution, followed by H₂ reduction, generating metal (Pd, Rh, Pt)/polymer composites. The resultant Pd/polymer nanospheres were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. It was indicated that the Pd nanoparticles with a size of about 5 nm were uniformly attached to the surface of the polymer spheres. The activities of the Pd/polymer composites for the allyl alcohol hydrogenation and Heck reaction were also investigated. The catalyst exhibited a high activity and stability in these two reactions.