Pd cluster nanowires as highly efficient catalysts for selective hydrogenation reactions.

Palladium is a key catalyst invaluable to many industrial processes and fine-chemical synthesis. Although recent progress has allowed the synthesis of Pd nanoparticles with various shapes by using different techniques, the facile synthesis of Pd nanocrystals and turning them into a highly active, selective, and stable catalyst systems still remain challenging. Herein, we report the highly selective one-pot synthesis of monodisperse Pd cluster nanowires in aqueous solution; these consist of interconnected nanoparticles and may serve as highly active catalysts because of the enrichment of high index facets on the surface, including {443}, {331}, and {221} steps. For the first time, carbon nanotube and γ-Al(2)O(3) immobilized Pd cluster nanowires showed highly enhanced catalytic performance in the liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde and gas-phase hydrogenation of 1,3butadiene relative to immobilized Pd icosahedra and nanocubes, as well as commercial Pd catalysts.

Solvothermal synthesis of Pt-Pd alloys with selective shapes and their enhanced electrocatalytic activities.

Pt-Pd bimetallic alloy nanostructures with highly selective morphologies such as cube, bar, flower, concave cube, and dendrite have been achieved through a facile one-pot solvothermal synthesis. The effects of shape-controllers (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na), NaI) and solvents (water/DMF) on the morphologies were systematically investigated. The electrocatalytic activities of these Pt-Pd alloy nanostructures toward formic acid oxidation were tested. The results indicated that these alloy nanocrystals exhibited enhanced and shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity toward formic acid oxidation compared to commercial Pt black and Pt/C catalysts.