skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Influence of oxygen and pH on the selective oxidation of ethanol on Pd catalysts

Journal Article · · Journal of Catalysis

The selective oxidation of ethanol on supported Pd is catalytically promoted by the presence of hydroxide species on the Pd surface as well as in solution. These hydroxide intermediates act as Brønsted bases which readily abstract protons from the hydroxyl groups of adsorbed or solution-phase alcohols. The C1AH bond of the resulting alkoxide is subsequently activated on the metal surface via hydride elimination to form acetaldehyde. Surface and solution-phase hydroxide intermediates can also readily react with the acetaldehyde via nucleophilic addition to form a germinal diol intermediate, which subsequently undergoes a second C1AH bond activation on Pd to form acetic acid. The role of O2 is to remove the electrons produced in the oxidation reaction via the oxygen reduction reaction over Pd. The reduction reaction also regenerates the hydroxide intermediates and removes adsorbed hydrogen that is produced during the oxidation.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1233798
Journal Information:
Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 299, Issue C; ISSN 0021-9517
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English