Controlled fabrication of mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolite-supported PdCu alloy nanoparticles for complete oxidation of toluene

Mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolite-supported PdCu alloy nanoparticle catalysts are synthesized via a facile and environmentally friendly method. The mesoporous structure is formed through the loss of carbon black particles encapsulated by zeolite crystals during calcination. The ZSM-5-supported PdCu nanoparticles are shown to possess mesoporous structure, evenly distributed PdCu alloy nanoparticles, and excellent catalytic performance in toluene oxidation. The mesoporous structure of the ZSM-5-supported PdCu nanoparticles provides a large specific surface area and pore size, resulting in numerous accessible active sites. The alloying of Pd with Cu both increases the catalytic performance of the catalyst and lowers its cost. Overall, the catalyst with a Pd/Cu ratio of 8:2 showed the highest catalytic activity of the fabricated materials, achieving 100 % toluene conversion at 160 °C. The mechanism of toluene oxidation over these catalysts can be explained by the Mars–van Krevelen model.