Stabilization of Palladium Atoms in Nitrogen-Doped Porphyrin-Like Fragments of Carbon Nanofibers

The paper considers the system of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (N-CNFs) with palladium atoms deposited on their surfaces. The concentration of deposited palladium varied in the interval of 0.05-0.6 wt.%. The state of palladium was studied with the methods of quantum chemistry, electron microscopy, CO adsorption, and EXAFS. Carbon structures that contain porphyrin-like defects with four nitrogen atoms in the graphene layer interact strongly with palladium atoms and therefore can be stabilization centers of atomic palladium.