Kinetics Study of a Pd-catalyzed Hydrogenation Reaction

Abstract

In this research, reaction kinetics of a Pd-catalyzed hydrogenation reaction are studied. One particular boron-dipyrromethene molecule was hydrogenated. Research goals are how differently shaped nanoparticles, cubic and cuboctahedral shaped, affected the catalytic activity, how the concentrations of both reactant and hydrogen donor affect the rate constant of this particular reaction. Therefore, experiments for different concentrations of these parameters are performed. Results show that the Pd-catalyzed hydrogenation reaction follows the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism and has increasing rate constants for higher concentrations of hydrogen. The Bodipy-dye stock solution contains an inhibitor for the hydrogenation reaction, with increasing rate constants at lower concentrations. At last, nanoparticles enclosed by {100} and {111} facets show more catalytic activity than nanoparticles enclosed by {100} facets only.