One pot microwave synthesis of highly stable AuPd@Pd supported core-shell nanoparticles

A series of 1 wt% supported Au, Pd and AuPd nanoalloy catalysts were prepared via microwave assisted reduction of PdCl₂ and HAuCl₄ in a facile, one pot process. The resulting materials showed excellent activity for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen, with a synergistic effect observed on the addition of Au into a Pd catalyst. Detailed electron microscopy showed that the bimetallic particles exhibited a core-shell morphology, with an Au core surrounded by an Au-Pd shell, with a size between 10-20 nm. The presence of Au in the shell was confirmed by EDX studies, with corroborating data from XPS measurements showing a significant contribution of both Au and Pd in the spectra, with the Au signal increasing as the total Au content of the catalyst increased. No PdO was observed, suggesting a complete reduction of the metal chloride nanoparticles. Unlike similar catalysts prepared by sol-immobilisation methodology, the core-shell structures showed excellent stability during the hydrogen peroxide synthesis reaction, and no catalyst deactivation was observed over 4 reuse cycles. This is the first time the preparation of stable core-shell particles have been reported using microwave assisted reduction. The observation that these particles are core-shell, without the need of a complicated synthesis or high thermal treatment and form in just 15 minutes presents an exciting opportunity for this experimental technique.