Facile synthesis of sandwich-like MnO2@Pd@MnO2 hollow spheres with superior catalytic stability and activity

Abstract Supported noble metal catalysts have a wide range of applications in heterogeneous catalysis, but poor thermodynamic stability greatly hindering their practical applications. In this article, we have prepared sandwich-like MnO2@Pd@MnO2 hollow spheres by template method, in which Pd nanoparticles were embedded in the porous MnO2 shell. Compared with the conventional supported catalysts, the sandwich structure design can significantly improve the thermal stability of the catalyst without considerably sacrificing its catalytic activity. It is believed that this method provides a new way to prepare a catalyst with high activity and excellent thermal stability.