TiO2-modified nano-egg-shell Pd catalyst for selective hydrogenation of acetylene

Pd-based egg-shell nano-catalysts were prepared using porous hollow silica nanoparticles (PHSNs) as support, and the as-prepared catalysts were modified with TiO2 to promote their selectivity for hydrogenation of acetylene. Pd nanoparticles were loaded evenly on PHSNs and TiO2 was loaded on the active Pd particles. The effects of reduction time and temperature and the amount of TiO2 added on catalytic performances were investigated by using a fixed-bed micro-reactor. It was found that the catalysts showed better performance when reduced at 300 °C than at 500 °C, and if reduced for 1 h than 3 h. When the amount of Ti added was 6 times that of Pd, the catalyst showed the highest ethylene selectivity.