Simple fabrication of a Pd-P film on a polymer membrane and its catalytic applications

Composites were prepared by a surface activation by aerosol deposition of Pd nanoparticles (Pd nano seeds) on a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membrane and subsequent Pd-P film formation by electroless deposition. Activation of the membrane processed by an ambient Pd spark discharge and subsequent fixation of the spark produced Pd nano seeds. Characterizations for electroless Pd-P films indicated that P entered into the crystal lattice of Pd and formed an alloy. The fabricated composites were applied to catalytic applications of formic acid oxidation (FAO) and toluene conversion (TC). The composite catalysts from the simple activation had more stable performances of FAO and TC than those from the conventional Sn-Pd activation, and their better performances might have originated from better purity due to the simple activation that only introduced pure Pd nano seeds.