EXAFS study of model Pd/Ga2O3 catalysts for the liquid-phase hydrogenation of acetylene before and after the reaction

The catalytic characteristics of Pd/Ga₂O₃ samples in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene are studied. The structure of the catalyst’s components before and after the reaction is examined by EXAFS spectroscopy. The activity of the original (after drying) samples results from the reduction of the original palladium oxide to a metallic state in the reaction medium. According to EXAFS, the catalysts reduced at 200°C contain small amounts of Pd-Ga alloy that was preserved in the reaction medium during the liquid-phase hydrogenation of acetylene and presumably increased the activity and selectivity of the samples.