Palladium nanoparticles synthesized by reducing species generated during a successive acidic/alkaline treatment of sucrose

• Sucrose was converted to efficient reducing species by acidic/alkaline treatment.
• ATR FT-IR spectroscopy revealed degradation of sucrose to carboxylate species and carbonate.
• Reducing species were intermediates with aldehyde functionality.
• PdNPs were synthesized using reducing species with aldehyde functionality as reducing agent.
• Uniform spherical PdNPs with an average particle size of 4.3 ± 0.5 nm were obtained.

Uniform spherical palladium nanoparticles with an average particle size of 4.3 ± 0.5 nm were successfully synthesized by reducing H2PdCl4 with intermediates in situ generated during a successive acidic/alkaline treatment of sucrose. A successive acidic/alkaline treatment plays an important role on converting the non-reducing sucrose into efficient reducing species containing aldehyde functionality. The Benedict’s test corroborates the development and vanishing of the in situ generated reducing species upon prolonged degradation. An increase in alkalinity drastically improves the reduction efficiency. ATR FT-IR spectroscopy indicated spontaneous development of carboxylate after the alkaline treatment. Under the employed condition, small organic species with carbonyl groups (aldehyde, acid, and acid salt) were generated through the sucrose degradation before being oxidized to carbonate after an hour of the treatment. Sucrose was completely decomposed into carbonate after a 24-h successive acidic/alkaline treatment. The synthesized palladium nanoparticles express a good catalytic activity in the decolorization process of Congo red by sodium borohydride.

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