Effect of the reduction conditions of the supported palladium precursor on the activity of Pd/C catalysts in hydrogenation of sodium 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoate

The study addresses the effect of the reduction conditions of palladium polynuclear hydroxo complexes (PHC) supported on the Sibunit carbon material on the dispersion of the metal particles and the activity of 0.5%Pd/Sibunit catalysts in the selective hydrogenation of sodium 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoate to 1,3,5-triaminobenzene in an aqueous solution (temperature of 323 or 343 K, pressure of 0.5 MPa). The palladium PHC were reduced using the most common methods pertaining to catalyst preparation: liquid-phase reduction with sodium formate and reduction in a hydrogen flow at elevated temperature. It was found that high-temperature reduction in the gas phase gives rise to Pd particles with a markedly lower dispersion compared with the sample obtained under mild liquid-phase reduction conditions. The catalytic activity of the sample containing large Pd particles proved to be higher than the activity of the catalyst obtained by reduction with sodium formate.