IN-SITU PREPARATION OF AMORPHOUS CARBON-ACTIVATED PALLADIUM NANOPARTICLES

Nanostructured particles of amorphous carbon-activated palladium metal lic clusters have been prepared (in situ) at room temperature by ultra sound irradiation of an organometallic precursor, tris-mu-[dibenzylide neacetone]dipalladium [(phi-CH=CH-CO-CH=CH-phi)(3)Pd-2] in mesitylene. Characterization by elemental analysis, transmission electron microsc opy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy, and BET surface area measurements shows that th e product powder consists of nanosize particles, agglomerated in clust ers of approximately 800 Angstrom. Each particle is found to have a me tallic core, covered by a carbonic shell that plays an important role in the stability of the nanoparticles. The catalytic activity in a Hec k reaction, in the absence of phosphine ligands, has been demonstrated .