Preformed Pd-Based Nanoparticles for the Liquid Phase Decomposition of Formic Acid: Effect of Stabiliser, Support and Au–Pd Ratio

A Process for Hydrogen Production from the Catalytic Decomposition of Formic Acid over Iridium-Palladium Nanoparticles

The present study investigates a process for the selective production of hydrogen from the catalytic decomposition of formic acid in the presence of iridium and iridium-palladium nanoparticles under various conditions. It was found that a loading of 1 wt.% of 2% palladium in the presence of 1% iridium over activated charcoal led to a 43% conversion of formic acid to hydrogen at room temperature after 4 h. Increasing the temperature to 60 °C led to further decomposition and an improvement in conversion yield to 63%. Dilution of formic acid from 0.5 to 0.2 M improved the decomposition, reaching conversion to 81%. The reported process could potentially be used in commercial applications.

N-Functionalised Imidazoles as Stabilisers for Metal Nanoparticles in Catalysis and Anion Binding

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have physicochemical properties which are distinct from both the bulk and molecular metal species, and provide opportunities in fields such as catalysis and sensing. NPs typically require protection of their surface to impede aggregation, but these coatings can also block access to the surface which would be required to take advantage of their unusual properties. Here, we show that alkyl imidazoles can stabilise Pd, Pt, Au, and Ag NPs, and delineate the limits of their synthesis. These ligands provide an intermediate level of surface protection, for which we demonstrate proof‐of‐principle in catalysis and anion binding.