Activated Carbon from Renewable Material as an Efficient Support for Palladium Oxidation Catalysts.

Activated carbon prepared from cocoa pod husk, which is an abundant agricultural waste, was employed as a green support for palladium oxidation catalysts. Systematic characterization of the support and palladium catalysts by atomic emission spectroscopy, N2 and CO2 physisorption measurements, X‐ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, temperature‐programmed reduction by hydrogen, and temperature‐programmed desorption of NH3 and CO2 allowed detailed monitoring of their characteristics. Subsequently, the catalytic performance and selectivity in the oxidation of ethanol as a model volatile organic compound (VOC) was studied and linked to physicochemical properties of the catalysts. Activated carbon was prepared from agricultural waste (cocoa pod husk) with ZnCl2 as an activating agent and employed as a green support for Pd oxidation catalysts. Pd nanoparticles were introduced by impregnation with Pd acetate in the presence of citric acid. The catalysts were tested in ethanol gas‐phase oxidation and their performance correlated with their physicochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]