Kinetics and mechanism of palladium(II) acetate reduction by hydrogen on the surface of a carbon support

The kinetics of the reduction of Pd(II) compounds by dihydrogen on the surface of a carbon support has been investigated for palladium acetate as an example. A kinetic model has been constructed for this reaction. An autocatalytic mechanism is suggested, in which the key role is played by Pd(0) compounds and their hydrides. The reaction occurring on the support surface is compared with the same reaction in solutions of palladium phosphine acetate complexes, where a similar mechanism is observed. One of the most important features of the surface reaction is the relatively slow reduction of the Pd(I) compounds to Pd(0). This makes it possible to obtain materials with a high Pd(I) content of 5% and above.