CO oxidation over sonochemically synthesized Pd-Cu/Al2O3 nanocatalyst used in hydrogen purification: effect of Pd loading and ultrasound irradiation time

Pooya Estifaee; Mohammad Haghighi; Nima Mohammadi; Farhad Rahmani

doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2013.11.019

CO oxidation over sonochemically synthesized Pd-Cu/Al2O3 nanocatalyst used in hydrogen purification: effect of Pd loading and ultrasound irradiation time

Ultrason Sonochem. 2014 May;21(3):1155-65. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2013.11.019. Epub 2013 Dec 8.

Authors

Pooya Estifaee¹, Mohammad Haghighi², Nima Mohammadi¹, Farhad Rahmani¹

Affiliations

¹ Chemical Engineering Faculty, Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran; Reactor and Catalysis Research Center (RCRC), Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran.
² Chemical Engineering Faculty, Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran; Reactor and Catalysis Research Center (RCRC), Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran. Electronic address: haghighi@sut.ac.ir.

PMID: 24369903
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2013.11.019

Abstract

The bimetallic Pd-Cu nanocatalysts with different Pd loadings and ultrasonic irradiation times were sonochemically synthesized and their activities toward CO oxidation were investigated. XRD, FESEM, TEM, BET, FTIR and TG-DTG techniques were employed in nanocatalysts characterization. XRD data confirmed formation of CuAl2O4 spinel with an average crystallite size of 4.9 nm. FESEM images revealed more uniform pattern and also fewer agglomerations were observed by increasing ultrasonic irradiation time. In agreement with FESEM result, TEM images depicted nanoparticles and uniform dispersion of active phase over alumina. BET surface analysis showed that increasing the Pd loading has no significant effect on surface area; whereas by increasing irradiation time the surface area increases slightly. Catalytic performance tests of synthesized samples showed that Pd(1.5%)-Cu(20%)/Al2O3 with 95 min ultrasonic irradiation time had the best activity over the course of reaction. In addition, increasing CO at feed composition revealed that among synthesized nanocatalysts with 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of Pd, synthesized sample with 1.5% of Pd had the best low-temperature activity.

Keywords: Bimetallic catalyst; CO oxidation; Hydrogen purification; Pd–Cu/Al(2)O(3); Ultrasound.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't