Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Titanium-Doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Formic Acid Dehydrogenation.

Pd nanoparticles (NPs) supported on Ti-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) were synthesized by a deposition-precipitation route and a subsequent reduction with NaBH4 . The features of the NPs were studied by XRD, TEM, FTIR, XPS, EXAFS and N2 -physisorption measurements. It was found that the NPs had an average size of 2.9 nm and presented a high dispersion on the surface of Ti-doped g-C3 N4 . Compared to Pd loaded on pristine g-C3 N4 , the Pd NPs supported on Ti-doped g-C3 N4 exhibited a high catalytic activity in formic acid dehydrogenation in water at room temperature. The enhanced activity could be attributed to the small Pd NPs size, as well as the strong interaction between Pd NPs and Ti-doped g-C3 N4 .