Catalytic Activity of Incorporated Palladium Nanoparticles on Recycled Carbon Black from Scrap Tires

A stable support substrate for catalytically active metal nanoparticles (NPs) plays an important role in various chemical transformation reactions. This study describes the effective integration of catalytically active palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) into recycled carbon black (rCB) obtained from scrap tires. The loading efficiency and dispersion degree of PdNPs prepared via a deposition-precipitation method are thoroughly compared to those prepared with conventional Vulcan CB. As the rCB powder exhibits relatively larger surface areas and wider pore size distributions, slightly polydisperse and more PdNPs are integrated across rCB than those on CB. These composite materials are subsequently tested as catalysts in the Suzuki coupling and styrene hydrogenation reactions. For the Suzuki reaction using phenylboronic acid and bromobenzene, the PdNPs on rCB exhibit slightly higher reactivity than those on CB (TOF of ∼9/h vs ∼8/h), presumably due to the structural features of the integrated PdNPs and the relatively hydrophobic characteristics of the rCB substrate. For the hydrogenation reaction, both composite materials easily result in over 99% yield under ambient conditions with similar activation energies of ∼32 kcal/mol. These composite materials are also recyclable in both reactions without a detectable loss of the PdNP catalyst and its activity. Understanding the physicochemical properties of rCB and demonstrating their potential use as a catalyst support substrate evidently suggest the possibility of replacing conventional CB, which also provides an idea of upcycling waste tires in the development of practical and green reaction systems.