Surface DBD plasma-assisted preparation of Pd/MWCNTs-P formic acid dehydrogenation catalyst in solution: The influence of discharge parameters

Amino-modified MWCNTs supported Pd catalyst (Pd/MWCNTs-P) was prepared in solution by surface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and applied for formic acid dehydrogenation reaction. The effects of discharge parameters (discharge voltage, discharge time, and discharge atmosphere) on the structure and performance of the catalyst were discussed. The results showed that the optimum discharge voltage was 6 kV, the discharge time was 6 min, and the discharge atmosphere was VH₂:VAr = 1:1. The Pd/MWCNTs-P exhibits outstanding performance for formic acid dehydrogenation. It can be released up to 230 mL of gas during the formic acid dehydrogenation in just 120 s, and the gas production at the end of the reaction was 280 mL. It was found that the Pd/MWCNTs-P prepared by optimising the discharge parameters had abundant oxygen-containing functional groups (OCGs) on the surface of the support, small size and high dispersion of Pd nanoparticles, and strong metal-support interactions. The preparation of Pd/MWCNTs-P assisted by surface DBD plasma in solution at atmospheric pressure is a mild, fast, and green plasma technique, which provides a new idea for the design of high-performance formic acid dehydrogenation catalysts.