Synthesis of Immobilized Palladium Nanoparticles and Their Application as a Catalyst in Cottonseed Oil Hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation of vegetable oils is widely employed to modify the physicochemical properties of edible fats and enhance their oxidative stability. This study aimed to synthesize palladium nanoparticles immobilized on activated carbon and evaluate their catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of cottonseed oil. Palladium nanoparticles were prepared by the chemical reduction of palladium chloride using sodium borohydride and subsequently immobilized on activated carbon derived from rice husk. UV–Vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of palladium nanoparticles with particle sizes ranging from ۱۰ to ۵۰ nm and their relatively uniform distribution over the support surface. Elemental analysis indicated a palladium content of ۰.۶ wt.% in the synthesized catalyst. Hydrogenation experiments conducted at ۲۲۰–۲۳۰ °C demonstrated that increasing the reaction time from ۳ to ۶ h resulted in an increase in the melting point of the hydrogenated product from ۲۱.۰ to ۴۹.۷ °C, indicating progressive saturation of cottonseed oil. The developed Pd/activated carbon catalyst exhibited effective catalytic performance and may be considered a promising heterogeneous catalytic system for the hydrogenation of vegetable oils.

کلیدواژه ها:

Palladium nanoparticles ، Activated carbon ، Rice husk ، Cottonseed oil hydrogenation ، Heterogeneous catalyst ، Vegetable oil hydrogenation