Degrading perchloroethene at ambient conditions using Pd and Pd-on-Au reduction catalysts

- Perchloroethene degradation rates were quantified for Pd and Pd-on-Au materials.
- The Pd-on-Au NPs were most active at 80% Pd surface coverage.
- The most active Pd-on-Au NPs were 80x faster than Pd/alumina per gram-Pd basis.
- Perchloroethene degrades via stepwise reductive dechlorination of chlorine groups.
- Volcano-shape dependence of Pd-on-Au NPs for PCE degradation is established.