Catalytic hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde and oxidation of benzene over active and recyclable palladium nanoparticles stabilized by polyethylene glycol

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-stabilized Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal approach. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. Pd nanoparticles show a high degree of dispersion in PEG with a small average particle size distribution in the range of 3–6 nm. The Pd/PEG catalyst exhibited a remarkable catalytic activity toward selective hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde and oxidation of benzene in liquid phase under mild conditions. The catalyst could be easily removed from the reaction mixture and its recyclability was possible for ten times for crotonaldehyde and two times for benzene. The catalytic performance was found to depend essentially on the catalyst and target concentrations and reaction time.

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► Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles in polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an active catalyst.
► Efficient catalyst for hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde and oxidation of benzene.
► High degree of dispersion of Pd nanoparticles in PEG with small particle size distribution.
► The current Pd/PEG catalytic system exhibited good stability and recyclability.