Catalytic membranes with palladium nanoparticles: From tailored polymer to catalytic applications

A new polymer–metal nanocomposite containing catalytic metal nanoparticles and useful for the preparation of catalytic membranes was developed. Pd0 nanoparticles were grown by intermatrix synthesis methodology on polymeric membranes made of either sulfonated and non sulfonated polyethersulphone with Cardo group or Nafion. The synthesized polymer, the developed membranes and the corresponding nanocomposites were characterized by chemical and microscopic techniques and their catalytic efficiency was tested following a model reaction: the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol.

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► A new polymer–metal nanocomposite useful for the preparation of catalytic membranes is developed.
► SPES-C membranes are obtained and compared with Nafion membranes.
► Pd0 nanoparticles are grown by intermatrix synthesis.
► Catalytic efficiency is tested following the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol.
► For the same load of PdNPs, SPES-C nanocomposite membranes show the better catalytic efficiency, and Nafion the worse.