Pd/C-catalyzed reduction of NaHCO3 into CH3COOH with water as a hydrogen source

•A quick hydrothermal CH3COOH formation from CO2 within 2 h.•Hot water acts as both a reaction medium and a hydrogen source for CO2 reduction.•Commercially available Pd/C shows good catalytic activity for CH3COOH formation.•CH3COOH production rate: 14.6 μmol/g−1(Pd)/min−1; CH3COOH yield: 8%.

In this paper, a simple method of NaHCO3 reduction to CH3COOH in water with Al powder as a reductant on a commercially available Pd/C catalyst is described that producing CH3COOH with a good yield of 8% from NaHCO3 on a carbon basis at 300 °C under hydrothermal conditions. A high adsorption enthalpy of C1 intermediates on the Pd catalyst may act as an important role in the reduction of NaHCO3 into CH3COOH on Pd/C catalyst. This research provides a simple way to convert the CO2 into a C2 compound.

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