Layered Pd oxide on PdSn nanowires for boosting direct H(2)O(2) synthesis

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) has the wide range of applications in industry and living life. However, the development of the efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the direct H(2)O(2) synthesis (DHS) from H(2) and O(2) remains a formidable challenge because of the low H(2)O(2) producibility. Herein, we develop a two-step approach to prepare PdSn nanowire catalysts, which comprises Pd oxide layered on PdSn nanowires (Pd(L)/PdSn-NW). The Pd(L)/PdSn-NW displays superior reactivity in the DHS at zero Celcius, presenting the H(2)O(2) producibility of 528 mol kg(cat)(−1)·h(−1) and H(2)O(2) selectivity of >95%. A layer of Pd oxide on the PdSn nanowire generates bi-coordinated Pd, leading to the different adsorption behaviors of O(2), H(2) and H(2)O(2) on the Pd(L)/PdSn-NW. Furthermore, the weak adsorption of H(2)O(2) on the Pd(L)/PdSn-NW contributes to the low activation energy and high H(2)O(2) producibility. This surface engineering approach, depositing metal layer on metal nanowires, provides a new insight in the rational designing of efficient catalyst for DHS.