PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND CATALYTIC-HYDROGENATION PROPERTIES OF PALLADIUM SUPPORTED ON C-60

A C-60-supported Pd catalyst has been prepared by reaction between C-6 0 and Pd(OAc)(2)(PPh3)(2) in toluene, to give the complex C-60[Pd(OAc) (2)(PPh3)](3), followed by H-2 treatment at 523 K for 4 h. Catalytic q uantities (1 mol%) promote hydrogenation of diphenylacetylene, phenyla cetylene, cyclohexene and hex-1-ene to give 100% conversion to 1,2-dip henylethane, phenylethane, cyclohexane and hexane within 18, 13, 21 an d 12 min, respectively. Hydrogenation of the same substrates under sim ilar conditions using Pd on activated charcoal (10%) as catalyst gives similar yields but at a longer time (20, 18, 27 and 15 min, respectiv ely). Both the Pd-C-60 catalyst and its precursor were characterised b y thermogravimetry (TG), FTIR, mass spectrometry (RIS), powder XRD, X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microsc opy (TEM).