Palladium Supported on Titanium Carbide: A Highly Efficient, Durable, and Recyclable Bifunctional Catalyst for the Transformation of 4-Chlorophenol and 4-Nitrophenol

Developing highly efficient and recyclable catalysts for the transformation of toxic organic contaminates still remains a challenge. Herein, Titanium Carbide (Ti₃C₂) MXene modified by alkali treatment process was selected as a support (designated as alk-Ti₃C₂X₂, where X represents the surface terminations) for the synthesis of Pd/alk-Ti₃C₂X₂. Results show that the alkali treatment leads to the increase of surface area and surface oxygen-containing groups of Ti₃C₂X₂, thereby facilitating the dispersion and stabilization of Pd species on the surface of alk-Ti₃C₂X₂. The Pd/alk-Ti₃C₂X₂ catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity for the hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol and the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol in aqueous solution at 25 °C and hydrogen balloon pressure. High initial reaction rates of 216.6 and 126.3 min-1· g pd - 1 are observed for the hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol and hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol, respectively. Most importantly, Pd/alk-Ti₃C₂X₂ exhibits excellent stability and recyclability in both reactions without any promoters. The superior property of Pd/alk-Ti₃C₂X₂ makes it as a potential material for practical applications.