Determination of surface composition of alloy nanoparticles and relationships with catalytic activity in Pd–Cu/SiO2 cogelled xerogel catalysts

The combination of results from carbon monoxide chemisorption, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy allowed calculating the surface composition of the palladium–copper nanoparticles in Pd–Cu/SiO₂ cogelled xerogel catalysts. Values obtained indicate a very pronounced surface enrichment with copper. Surface compositions obtained with this method, which combines three different experimental techniques, are in agreement with the literature data previously obtained for surface segregation in Pd–Cu/SiO₂ catalysts by other techniques as low energy ion scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. While 1,2-dichloroethane hydrodechlorination over pure palladium mainly produces ethane, increasing copper content in bimetallic catalysts results in an increase in ethylene selectivity, to reach 100% in ethylene selectivity for the sample containing 1.4 wt.% of palladium and 3.0 wt.% of copper.