Pd/C modified with Sn catalyst for liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of maleic anhydride to gamma-butyrolactone

The types of alloy phase and the amounts of the surface Pd-SnO(x) sites altered along with Sn/Pd mass ratios from 0-1.0 synthesized in the process of preparation. The maximum reaction rate was 0.57 mol-GBL/(mol-Pd min) and selectivity was 95.94% when the Sn/Pd mass ratio was 0.6. It might be attributed to the formation of Pd2Sn alloy and less amounts of Pd-SnO(x) sites.