An Efficient Pd-Sn Catalyst Supported on MWNTs for Hydrogenation of High Concentrated Acetylene Feedstocks: The Potential Role of Isolated Adsorption Site

In the present study, tin-promoted Pd/MWNTs nanocatalystwas synthesized via polyol technique for application in hydrogenation of high-concentrated acetylene feedstocks. TEM images showed a restricted distribution of nanoparticles in the range of 3-5 nm. The results indicated that nanoparticles sizes were resistant to further catalyst deactivation. XRD patterns signified alloying between Pd and Sn which contained a high percentage of ordered intermetallic structures (70.8%), as confirmed by XPS. According to the results, pore blocking and/or fouling was known as the main reasons of the catalyst deactivation. Here, we supposed a novel deactivation mechanism based on which dehydrogenation susceptibility of carbonaceous species (green oil) played a significant role in the formation of the isolated adsorption sites and then, catalyst deactivation.