Microemulsion-Templated Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube-Supported Nanoparticles

Significance

The authors have reported the synthesis of carbon nanotube-supported Pd and Rh nanoparticles and their catalytic applications. They used water-in-oil microemulsion as a template for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were dispersed in the water-in-oil emulsion containing metal species (sodium tetrachloropalladate and/or rhodium trichloride). The reduction of metal species by hydrogen gave carbon nanotube (CNT) supported nanoparticles. The catalytic activities of these catalysts were examined for hydrogenation of anthracene (for details see scheme). No conversion of anthracene was observed with commercially available Rh/C catalyst.