Synthesis of Pd/TiO₂ catalyst for aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation

Pd/TiO₂ particles were prepared by wet impregnation for aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation. Catalysts were prepared by the impregnation of 10 wt% palladium on TiO₂ after calcination at various temperatures. The surface areas of the catalysts were changed with calcination temperature. The catalyst calcined at 300 °C possessed the highest surface areas. Catalytic activity of the prepared samples was examined for aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation. Among the samples, Pd/TiO₂ calcined at 300 °C showed the highest catalytic activity. Moreover, the catalysts with various Pd concentrations from 5 wt% to 15 wt% were prepared to investigate an optimum catalyst. 10 wt% Pd/TiO₂ was the most active in this reaction due to its higher surface areas and metal dispersion.