Synthesis of Pd/SBA-15 catalyst employing surface-bonded vinyl as a reductant and its application in the hydrogenation of nitroarenes

The Pd/SBA-15 catalyst was synthesised through the reduction of PdCl2 by the surface-bonded vinyl group on vinyl-functionalized SBA-15, which was prepared via co-polymerization. XRD and XPS characterization confirmed the successful reduction of Pd(II) to Pd(0). Pd/SBA-15 showed a narrow palladium particle-size distribution of about 5–6 nm in the TEM image. The Pd/SBA-15 catalyst was effective for the hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds with zero-order kinetics, and the TOF for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene was 1124 h−1 at 313 K and 1 atm H2. A steric effect was observed for the substituted nitroarenes.