Walnut shell-assisted synthesis of ceria nanoparticle

Ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles have been produced from cerium nitrate and walnut shell as a worthless agricultural waste by a thermal decomposition method followed by open air calcination. These nanoparticles further were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDX) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Moreover, the efficiency of CeO2 nanoparticles as a support for palladium nanoparticles and subsequent use in aerobic oxidation of alcohols has been investigated. TEM image of a recovered catalyst indicates the formation of 12 nm sized palladium nanoparticles within the cerium oxide nanoparticles. The catalyst is quite effective for the oxidation of primary and secondary benzylic alcohols into their corresponding aldehydes and ketones under atmospheric pressure of air. Aerobic oxidation of secondary aliphatic alcohols is performed in an oxygen atmosphere.

Keywords:

Thermal decomposition , Biomass , Textural properties , Green chemistry , Catalysis