Oxygen-enhanced water gas shift on ceria-supported Pd–Cu and Pt–Cu bimetallic catalysts

Aiming at enhancing H₂ production in water gas shift (WGS) for fuel cell application, a small amount of oxygen was added to WGS reaction toward oxygen-enhanced water gas shift (OWGS) on ceria-supported bimetallic Pd–Cu and Pt–Cu catalysts. Both CO conversion and H₂ yield were found to increase by the oxygen addition. The remarkable enhancement of H₂ production by O₂ addition in short contact time was attributed to the enhanced shift reaction, rather than the oxidation of CO on catalyst surface. The strong dependence of H₂ production rate on CO concentration in OWGS kinetic study suggested O₂ lowers the CO surface coverage. It was proposed that O₂ breaks down the domain structure of chemisorbed CO into smaller domains to increase the chance for coreactant (H₂O) to participate in the reaction and the heat of exothermic surface reaction helping to enhance WGS kinetics. Pt–Cu and Pd–Cu bimetallic catalysts were found to be superior to monometallic catalysts for both CO conversion and H₂ production for OWGS at 300 °C or lower, while the superiority of bimetallic catalysts was not as pronounced in WGS. These catalytic properties were correlated with the structure of the bimetallic catalysts. EXAFS spectra indicated that Cu forms alloys with Pt and with Pd. TPR demonstrated the strong interaction between the two metals causing the reduction temperature of Cu to decrease upon Pd or Pt addition. The transient pulse desorption rate of CO₂ from Pd–Cu supported on CeO₂ is faster than that of Pd, suggesting the presence of Cu in Pd–Cu facilitate CO₂ desorption from Pd catalyst. The oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of CeO₂ in the bimetallic catalysts indicates that Cu is much less pyrophoric in the bimetallic catalysts due to lower O₂ uptake compared to monometallic Cu. These significant changes in structure and electronic properties of the bimetallic catalysts are the result of highly dispersed Pt or Pd in the Cu nanoparticles.     

Insights into SO2 Interaction with Pd/Co3O4–CeO2 Catalysts for Methane Oxidation

The catalytic performance and the sulphur resistance of a Pd (0.7 wt%) catalyst supported over Co₃O₄(30 wt%)–CeO₂(70 wt%) mixed oxide were investigated in the oxidation of methane under stoichiometric and lean conditions. The catalytic behaviour was compared with that of two reference catalysts, palladium supported over pure Co₃O₄ and CeO₂. Catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, XPS and FTIR measurements. Regeneration by a CH₄-reducing treatment at 600 °C was investigated.     

A Comparative Study of Palladium and Copper Catalysts in Methanol Synthesis

Catalytic activity of copper supported on cerium oxide (Cu/CeO₂) in methanol synthesis from carbon monoxide and hydrogen at 473 K is similar to that of ceria-supported palladium (Pd/CeO₂). Both catalysts contain 0.3 mmol g^-1 of the active metals and the activities on a mole basis of the active metals are significantly higher than that of a commercial copper catalyst. Analyses bt EXAFS suggest that the particle size of copper in Cu/CeO₂ is similar to that of palladium in Pd/CeO₂. The activity of copper supported on silica is very low even at 523 K although the particle size of copper is close to that in Cu/CeO₂. Hence, cerium oxide promotes the activity of copper as can be seen in Pd/CeO₂.     

Pd-Integrated Perovskite as Effective Catalyst for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx by Propene

Perovskite based Pd catalysts were prepared by a modified citrate route and analyzed with SEM, XRD, TEM and XPS techniques regarding the state of palladium. Integration of Pd into the perovskite lattice was compared with impregnation onto the support. Clear indications of Pd-substitution in the La-based perovskites were found by XPS and SEM. The integrated Pd-ions diffuse out of the perovskite lattice under reductive conditions forming metallic palladium nano-particles (less than 15 nm size) while the Pd particles obtained via the impregnation route were in the order of 80 nm. In the selective catalytic reduction of NO by propene, up to 35% NO conversion at 250 °C were obtained at a very low W/F of 0.015 g s mL^?1, with decreasing tendency at increasing oxygen content. Differences between impregnated and Pd-integrated catalysts were obvious only at high O₂ content (5 vol.%) where the Pd-integrated catalyst exhibited a lower tendency to oxidize the propene reductant.     

Nano-structured CeO2 supported Cu-Pd bimetallic catalysts for the oxygen-assisted water–gas-shift reaction

The present work focuses on the development of novel Cu-Pd bimetallic catalysts supported on nano-sized high-surface-area CeO₂ for the oxygen-assisted water–gas-shift (OWGS) reaction. High-surface-area CeO₂ was synthesized by urea gelation (UG) and template-assisted (TA) methods. The UG method offered CeO₂ with a BET surface area of about 215 m²/g, significantly higher than that of commercially available CeO₂. Cu and Pd were supported on CeO₂ synthesized by the UG and TA methods and their catalytic performance in the OWGS reaction was investigated systematically. Catalysts with about 30 wt% Cu and 1 wt% Pd were found to exhibit a maximum CO conversion close to 100%. The effect of metal loading method and the influence of CeO₂ support on the catalytic performance were also investigated. The results indicated that Cu and Pd loaded by incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) exhibited better performance than that prepared by deposition–precipitation (DP) method. The difference in the catalytic activity was related to the lower Cu surface concentration, better Cu–Ce and Pd–Ce interactions and improved reducibility of Cu and Pd in the IWI catalyst as determined by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) studies. A direct relation between BET surface area of the CeO₂ support and CO conversion was also observed. The Cu-Pd bimetallic catalysts supported on high-surface-area CeO₂ synthesized by UG method exhibited at least two-fold higher CO conversion than the commercial CeO₂ or that obtained by TA method. The catalyst retains about 100% CO conversion even under extremely high H₂ concentration.     

Promotional SMSI Effect on Supported Palladium Catalysts for Methanol Synthesis

High-temperature reduction (HTR) of palladium catalysts supported on some reducible oxides, such as Pd/CeO₂, and Pd/TiO₂ catalysts, led to a strong metal-support interaction (SMSI), which was found to be the main reason for their high and stable activity for methanol synthesis from hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. But low-temperature-reduced (LTR) catalysts exhibited high methane selectivity and were oxidized to PdO quickly in the same reaction. Besides palladium, platinum exhibited similar behavior for this reaction when supported on these reducible oxides. Mechanistic studies of the Pd/CeO₂ catalyst clarified the promotional role of the SMSI effect, and the spillover effect on the HTR Pd/CeO₂ catalyst. Carbon dioxide was decomposed on Ce₂O₃, which was attached to Pd, to form CO and surface oxygen species. The carbon monoxide formed was hydrogenated to methanol successively on the palladium surface while the surface oxygen species was hydrogenated to water by spillover hydrogen from the gas phase. A reaction model for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide was suggested for both HTR and LTR Pd/CeO₂ catalysts. Methanol synthesis from syngas on the LTR or HTR Pd/CeO₂ catalysts was also conducted. Both alcohol and hydrocarbons were formed significantly on the HTR catalyst from syngas while methanol formed predominantly on the LTR catalyst. Characterization of these two catalysts elucidated the reaction performances.     

High-stable CuPd–Cu2O/Ti-powder catalyst for low-temperature gas-phase selective oxidation of alcohols

The oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds in gas-phase is of great importance in organic chemistry and industrial process. Herein, the catalyst CuPd–Cu₂O/Ti-powder is prepared by depositing Cu(NO₃)₂ and Pd(NO₃)₂ on Ti powder support followed by in-situ activation in reaction stream, which delivers high-performance for the gas-phase oxidation of alcohols. Compared with Cu/Ti-powder and Pd/Ti-powder, CuPd–Cu₂O/Ti-powder exhibits higher stability and activity in alcohol oxidation reaction. The catalyst is characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM and ICP. The results indicate that CuPd(alloy)–Cu₂O formed during the reaction contributes to the high activity and stability.     

Titania-Supported Pd–Cu Bimetallic Catalyst for the Reduction of Nitrite Ions in Drinking Water

Titania-supported palladium–copper bimetallic catalysts (Pd–Cu/P25) are prepared by liquid-phase chemical reduction method and then applied in liquid-phase catalytic reduction of nitrite ions (NO₂ ^-). Compared with the conventional impregnation method, which usually needs a post-thermal reduction procedure to eliminate the introduced anions, liquid-phase chemical reduction at ambient temperature was proved to inhibit the aggregation of metal active components by means of TEM and DSC analysis in this work, and the catalyst exhibited superior catalytic activity. The conversion of nitrite reached a high level (1×10^-4 mol min^-1 g_cat ^-1) and is about 14 times than that reported recently. The influences on the conversion of NO₂ ^- by support materials and the molar ratio of palladium to copper are also investigated, and further, the reaction mechanisms are discussed according to the characterization results of XPS and in situ FT-IR.     

On the Surface Nature of Bimetallic PdZn Particles Supported on a ZnO–CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanocomposite for the Methanol Steam Reforming Reaction

CO adsorption—as a molecular probe—was studied by transmission IR spectroscopy on pre-reduced Pd and bimetallic PdZn nanoparticles. Palladium was supported (2 wt% Pd) on pure CeO₂, ZnO and a ZnO–CeO₂ composite (atomic ratio Zn:Ce?=?1:2). The Pd 3d_5/2 binding energy shift, together with the formation of metallic zinc were consistent with the development of a PdZn alloy over the zinc-containing supports at increasing reduction temperature, as revealed by XPS. Following H₂ reduction at 623 K the bimetallic particles showed only linear CO adsorption (CO_L) at initial contact time (10 Torr CO, 298 K), giving rise to a convoluted IR band ascribed to different Pd sites, where it was assumed that the Pd–Pd distances were larger than for pure Pd crystallites, indicating the presence of a PdZn alloyed surface. However, for longer exposure time to CO and/or higher superimposed pressure, the appearance of bridge and hollow coordinated CO (CO_B and CO_H, respectively) on the Pd sites suggested the degradation of the PdZn surface alloy, most likely due to the segregation of Pd surface patches. The temperature-programmed, dynamic isobaric adsorption of CO (TPA-CO), under flowing CO(1%)/He on the catalysts pre-reduced at 623 K (that is, for similar conditions to those found in the methanol steam reforming—MSR-process) showed faster desorption of CO_L as compared to CO_B?+?CO_H species for supported Pd/CeO₂, as expected. However, the TPA-CO results on Pd/ZnO–CeO₂ were atypical: even under the superimposed, low CO partial pressure, and for a temperature range similar to those found at high methanol conversion in the MSR reaction, the PdZn bimetallic surface nature was recovered, which could be an explanation of the good selectivity to CO₂ of Pd/ZnO-based catalysts and—in particular—of the catalytically stable Pd/ZnO–CeO₂ materials.

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Catalytic reduction of nitrate in water: Promoted palladium catalysts supported in resin

The reactive properties of Pd–Cu and Pd–In catalysts over weak anionic exchange resin as support was investigated in the catalytic nitrate reduction. Pd–Cu/resin catalysts were prepared upon different copper fixation procedures (ion exchange method and controlled surface reaction). The samples were tested in a batch reactor with H₂ bubbling and constant pH. The fresh and reacted catalysts were characterized by TEM, EPMA, XRD and XPS. The results demonstrated a higher activity of the Pd–Cu/resin catalyst prepared upon controlled surface reaction due to a high concentration of binary sites in the external surface. On the other hand, the XRD and TEM analyses indicated that sinterization occurs during reaction, leading to an increase in the average particle size.In the same way, a Pd–In/resin was investigated showing more activity and less selectivity than the Pd–Cu/resin sample.     

A novel catalyst for CO oxidation at low temperature

Supported catalysts of palladium over ceria–titania mixed oxides (Pd/CeO₂–TiO₂) were prepared and tested for carbon monoxide oxidation. The catalysts exhibited high catalytic activity at room temperature. The Pd/CeO₂–TiO₂ catalyst was more active than Pd/CeO₂, Pd/SnO₂–TiO₂, Pd/ZrO₂–TiO₂, Pd/Al₂O₂–TiO₂ and Pd/TiO₂ catalysts under the same conditions examined. The effects of preparation methods of the support, the mole ratio of ceria and titania in mixed supports as well as Pd loading upon the catalytic activity of CO oxidation were investigated. Among the Pd/CeO₂–TiO₂ catalysts, the best one corresponds to the Pd loading of 1.0 wt% or above, and the mole ratio of ceria and titania ranging from 1 : 7 to 1 : 5. The steady-state catalytic performance of such catalyst was recorded without any deactivation over 8 h time-on-stream in the present study. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Gas-phase carbonylation of methanol to dimethyl carbonate on chloride-free Cu-precipitated zeolite Y at normal pressure

Chloride-free Cu/zeolite Y catalysts with Cu loading of 2–14% were prepared by precipitation from aqueous copper(II) acetate solutions and inert activation with an Ar flow at 700–750 °C for 15 h. This inert activation resulted in a considerable activity of the catalyst for the oxidative carbonylation of methanol (MeOH) to dimethyl carbonate (DMC) under normal pressure at 140–160 °C at 10–12 wt% Cu loading. Space-time yields (STY) of DMC up to 100 g_DMC l⁻¹_Cat h⁻¹ were achieved with a feed composed of 36% MeOH, 48% CO, 6% O₂, and balance He at a gaseous hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 3000 h⁻¹. A threshold of copper loading (5–6 wt%) was found to exist before catalysts became active. This is associated with the preferential location of copper at ion-exchange positions of the zeolite structure Y not accessible for the reactants. After saturation of these sites, the placement of copper ions within the supercage led to active catalysts. Characterization of samples at various stages of preparation by N₂ adsorption, XRD, XPS, ESR, ²⁷Al-MAS-NMR, and TPR analysis revealed that the solid-state ion exchange during inert activation is accompanied by reduction of Cu²⁺ to Cu⁺. Copper ions exert a stabilizing effect on the crystallinity of the zeolite (in situ XRD, ²⁷Al-MAS-NMR). No crystalline metallic copper, cuprous oxide, or cupric oxide were formed (XRD), but melting occurred at 750 °C for catalysts with 14% copper loading, resulting in the formation of a glassy amorphous copper silicate/aluminate phase. The latter effect can be prevented by applying lower activation temperatures. The catalysts were prepared without using chloride, and the reaction did not require co-feeding of HCl for maintaining activity, as is needed for CuCl/zeolite catalyst formulations.     

Methanol synthesis pathway over Cu/ZrO2 catalysts: a time‐resolved DRIFT 13C‐labelling experiment

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to characterize a series of Cu/Ce/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation using metal nitrate and alkoxide precursors. Catalyst loadings were held constant at 12 wt% CuO and 5.1 wt% CeO₂. Mixed oxide catalysts were prepared by impregnation of cerium first, followed by copper. The information obtained from surface and bulk characterization has been correlated with CO and CH₄ oxidation activity of the catalysts. Cu/Al₂O₃ catalysts prepared using Cu(II) nitrate (CuN) and Cu(II) ethoxide (CuA) precursors consist of a mixture of copper surface phase and crystalline CuO. The CuA catalyst shows higher dispersion, less crystalline CuO phase, and lower oxidation activity for CO and CH₄ than the CuN catalyst. For Cu/Ce/Al₂O₃ catalysts, Ce has little effect on the dispersion and crystallinity of the copper species. However, Cu impregnation decreases the Ce dispersion and increases the amount of crystalline CeO₂ present in the catalysts, particularly in Ce modified alumina prepared using cerium alkoxide precursor (CeA). Cerium addition dramatically increases the CO oxidation activity, however, it has little effect on CH₄ oxidation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterization of supported Pd-Cu bimetallic catalysts by SEM, EDXS, AES and catalytic selectivity measurements

Pd-Cu/γ-Al₂O₃ bimetallic catalysts were prepared according to different impregnation sequences of γ-Al₂O₃ and characterized by XRD, SEM, EDXS and AES. The catalysts were tested for the selective hydrogenation of aqueous nitrate solutions to nitrogen. The reaction selectivity was found to be dependent on the catalyst preparation procedures, which affect the spatial distribution of metallic copper and palladium phases. A catalyst prepared by impregnating γ -Al₂O₃ with copper followed by palladium gives higher selectivity to nitrogen than a catalyst prepared by impregnating the support with palladium followed by copper. The AES examination shows that in the catalyst exhibiting a higher nitrogen production yield, a reaction zone for the liquid-phase nitrate reduction is located in the interior of particles and covered by a layer of Pd atoms. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ag/SiO2, Cu/SiO2 and Pd/SiO2 cogelled xerogel catalysts for benzene combustion: Relationships between operating synthesis variables and catalytic activity

The aim of this work is to explore the applicability of the sol–gel method for the preparation of Ag/SiO₂, Cu/SiO₂ and Pd/SiO₂ catalysts and to see whether such a method can yield silver, copper and palladium species stabilized by the carrier in the case of benzene oxidation. So Ag/SiO₂, Cu/SiO₂ and Pd/SiO₂ xerogel catalysts were synthesized by cogelation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and chelates of Ag, Cu and Pd with 3-(2-aminoethylamino)-propyltrimethoxysilane (EDAS). The resulting catalysts are composed of completely accessible metallic crystallites with a diameter of about 3 nm located inside silica particles.     

Hydrogen Production with a Microchannel Reactor by Tri-Reforming; Reaction System Comparison and Catalyst Development

In this work, Pt based mono and bimetallic catalysts were tested under conditions of tri-reforming (TR). All the catalysts contained 25% of CeO₂ and a metal loading of 2.5 or 5.0% (wt%). The bimetallic catalysts contained 2.5% Pt and 2.5% of Me, where Me?=?Ni, Co, Mo, Pd, Fe, Re, Y, Cu or Zn. For all the experiments, a synthetic biogas which consisted of 60% CH₄ and 40% CO₂ (vol.) was mixed with water, S/C?=?1.0, and oxygen, O₂/CH₄?=?0.25, and fed to a fixed bed reactor (FBR) system or a microreactor. The 2.5Pt catalyst was used in order to compare the performance of each reaction system. The tests were performed at reaction temperatures between 700 and 800?°C, and at volume hourly space velocities (VHSV) between 100 L_N/(h g_cat) and 200 L_N/(h g_cat) for the FBR system and between 1000 L_N/(h g_cat) and 2000 L_N/(h g_cat) for the microreactor, at atmospheric pressure. Then, all catalysts were deposited into microchannel reactors and tested at a constant VHSV of 2000 L_N/(h g_cat) and reaction temperatures between 700 and 800?°C. Catalysts under investigation were characterized applying the following techniques: inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), N₂ Physisorption, Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR), CO chemisorption, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The microreactor was identified as the most efficient and promising reaction system, and the 2.5(Pt–Pd) catalyst as the bimetallic formulation with the highest activity. Therefore its activity and stability was compared with the reference 5.0Pt catalyst at 700?°C and VHSV of 2000 L_N/(h g_cat) for more than 100 h. Although slightly lower activity was measured operating with the 2.5(Pt–Pd) catalyst, a significant reduction of the Pt content compared to the reference 5.0Pt catalyst was achieved through the incorporation of Pd.     

Preparation and Study of Pd Catalysts Supported on Activated Carbon Cloth (ACC) for Direct Synthesis of H2O2 from H2 and O2

Activated carbon cloths (ACCs) were used as supports for Pd catalysts. The catalyst preparation was carried out by the impregnation method using acidic solution of palladium dichloride (PdCl₂) as metal precursor. The effects of the oxidation state of the loaded metal, heat treatment of the catalysts in different atmosphere (H₂, air) at different temperatures and surface chemistry of the support on the catalyst characterizations and the catalytic activities were investigated. Wet oxidation of ACC was done by nitric acid in order to induce oxygen-containing surface functional groups. Surface chemistry of the support and oxidation state of the metallic phase was investigated by means of XPS, TPD, SEM, DTA and TGA tests. Direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from H₂ and O₂ was performed batch wise in a stainless steel autoclave. The reactions were conducted under high pressure (38 bar) at 0 °C and methanol was used as reaction medium. The direct synthesis results showed that the oxygen-containing surface functional groups increase the selectivity of the catalysts by reducing the rate of water production. Existence of the oxidized state of Pd (PdO) also makes the catalyst more selective than the corresponding zerovalent state (Pd0). PdO affected on selectivity by increasing the rate of H₂O₂ production and reducing the amount of production of water, simultaneously.     

Hydrogen production via methanol steam reforming over Au/CuO,Au/CeO2, and Au/CuO–CeO2 catalysts prepared by deposition–precipitation

The production of hydrogen (H₂) with a low concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) via steam reforming of methanol (SRM) over Au/CuO, Au/CeO₂, (50:50)CuO–CeO₂, Au/(50:50)CuO–CeO₂, and commercial MegaMax 700 catalysts were investigated over reaction temperatures between 200 °C and 300 °C at atmospheric pressure. Au loading in the catalysts was maintained at 5 wt%. Supports were prepared by co-precipitation (CP) whilst all prepared catalysts were synthesized by deposition–precipitation (DP). The catalysts were characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Au/(50:50)CuO–CeO₂ catalysts expressed a higher methanol conversion with negligible amount of CO than the others due to the integration of CuO particles into the CeO₂ lattice, as evidenced by XRD, and a interaction of Au and CuO species, as evidenced by TPR. A 50:50 Cu:Ce atomic ratio was optimal for Au supported on CuO–CeO₂ catalysts which can then promote SRM. Increasing the reaction time, by reducing the liquid feed rate from 3 to 1.5 cm³ h^?1, resulted in a catalytic activity with complete (100%) methanol conversion, and a H₂ and CO selectivity of ～82% and ～1.3%, respectively. From stability testing, Au/(50:50)CuO–CeO₂ catalysts were still active for 540 min use even though the CuO was reduced to metallic Cu, as evidenced by XRD. Therefore, it can be concluded that metallic Cu is one of active components of the catalysts for SRM.     

Hydrogen Production from Ethanol over Rh–Pd/CeO2 Catalysts

The work presents a study by temperature programmed desorption, in situ infra red spectroscopy and catalytic steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) over CeO₂ and the bimetallic Pd-Rh/CeO₂; comparison with the monometallic catalysts (Rh/CeO₂ and Pd/CeO₂) was also made for the steam reforming study. Comparing TPD of ethanol over CeO₂ and the bimetallic catalysts indicated two main differences: the direct oxidation route to acetate over CeO₂ is suppressed by the presence of the metal and the lowering of the dehydrogenation reaction temperature by about 100 K. In situ IR study indicated that the bimetallic catalyst breaks the carbon–carbon bond of ethanol at low temperature <400 K, as evidenced by the presence of adsorbed CO species. SRE over ½ wt.% Rh–½ wt.% Pd/CeO₂, at 770 K at realistic conditions showed that maximum conversion and selectivity could be achieved. This high activity considering the very small amounts of transition metals on CeO₂ is discussed in light of their electronic and geometric effects.     

Characterization of Pd/γ-Al2O3 Catalysts Prepared Using [Pd(hfac)2] in Liquid CO2

A series of Pd/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts was prepared from [Pd(hfac)₂] (hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate) in liquid carbon dioxide using the method reported by Kim et al. [Chem Mater 18:4710 (2006)]. The catalysts were characterized using CO pulse chemisorption, diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electron microscopy. The catalysts were reduced initially in the high-pressure CO₂ reaction cell using H₂ at 75 °C. Samples were removed, stored in a desiccator, and re-reduced in situ at 250 °C prior to pulse chemisorption, DRIFTS and XAFS. CO pulse chemisorption evidenced that the Pd dispersion decreased from 55% to 5% as the Pd loading increased from 0.58 to 3.94 wt.%. The as-prepared 0.58 and 1.77 wt.% Pd/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts (after air exposure) contained oxidized Pd species that were converted after in situ reduction to supported Pd particles. The average Pd particle sizes of these two catalysts (16 and 23 Å, respectively) estimated from the first-shell Pd–Pd coordination numbers are in good agreement with the CO chemisorption results. DRIFTS evidenced a prevalence of weakly bound linear CO (ν_CO = 2083 cm^?1) adsorbed on the 0.58 wt.% Pd catalyst. A 2.95 wt% Pd catalyst (49 Å average particle size) also exhibited a strong linear CO band (ν_CO = 2093 cm^?1). In contrast, CO chemisorption on a commercial 1 wt.% Pd/Al₂O₃ catalyst (37 Å average particle size) gave predominantly 2-fold bridging CO species. We infer that the supported Pd particles prepared from [Pd(hfac)₂] are rougher on the atomic scale (with a higher percentage of edge and corner atoms) than equivalently sized particles in conventionally prepared Pd/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts.