Simultaneous Construction of Silica Nanotubes Loaded with Pd Nanoparticles for Catalytic Hydrodechlorination of Chlorophenols

In this study, we for the first time use ditopic bis-terpyridine-containing metallopolymers as templates to synthesize metal nanoparticle-encapsulated nanoreactors. In the presence of the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, the ditopic bis-terpyridines coordinate Pd2+ ions to form linear metallopolymer bundles, which are further used as templates for silica deposition to give silicified Pd ion-containing tubular metallopolymers. The following calcination and subsequent reduction simultaneously result in Pd NP-encapsulated silica nanotubes (Pd-SNTs). Relative to the silica-supported Pd catalysts, the prepared Pd-SNTs demonstrate enhanced performance for hydrodechlorinations of various chlorophenols into phenolic compounds at 35 °C and atmospheric H2 pressure and present high catalytic stability during five cycles of hydrodechlorination reactions.