Hydrogen in Palladium Nanoparticles: Enhancement of Catalytic Activity in the Reaction of Hexacyanoferrate(III) Ion Reduction in Aqueous Solutions

The catalytic activity of a palladium hydrosol has been studied in the reaction of hexacyanoferrate(III) ion reduction with hydrogen. The reaction rate has been found to increase with the degree of palladium nanoparticle saturation with hydrogen. An equation has been derived to describe the dependence of the reaction rate constant on the time of preliminary saturation of the hydrosol with hydrogen. The observed effect seems to be due to the discharge-ionization of hydrogen dissolved in the nanoparticles and an increase in their electron density, which enhance the catalytic activity of the particles.