Bimetallic Pd/Al particles for highly efficient hydrodechlorination of 2-chlorobiphenyl in acidic aqueous solution

Pd-based bimetallic materials have been widely studied for the effective hydrodechlorination (HDC) of aqueous chloroorganic compounds. However, the reaction functions of metal substrates and mechanism responsible for changes in reactivity have not been fully elucidated. Here, we synthesized Pd-based bimetals with Mg, Al, Mn, Zn, Fe, Sn, and Cu to explore the influence of metal substrates on HDC reactivity of 2-chlorobiphenyl (2-PCB). Bimetals exhibited disparate reactivity toward 2-PCB in acidic solution. Among these bimetals, Pd/Al particles presented the highest stability and relatively high reactivity to remove 2-PCB. The maintenance and regeneration of Al substrate are attributed to its particular corrosion properties which provide an efficient recycling between Al element and its oxide layer. The fresh and reacted Pd/Al samples were characterized by ICP-OES, SEM, XRD, and BET. The investigation of the pH effect on 2-PCB HDC further revealed the particular behaviour of Al surface. The effect of Pd loading amount on the HDC indicated that the optimal Pd content in terms of catalytic activity was related to the Pd dispersion degree. Finally, a mechanism for 2-PCB HDC on the Pd/Al surface was proposed.