Bimetallic Pd-Fe catalysts supported on TiO₂ are shown to be highly effective toward the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde via the in situ production of H₂O₂ from molecular H₂ and O₂, under conditions where no reaction is observed with molecular O₂ alone. The rate of benzyl alcohol oxidation observed over supported Pd-Fe nanoparticles is significantly higher than those of either Pd-Au or Pd-only analogues. This enhanced activity can be attributed to the bifunctionality of the Pd-Fe catalyst to both synthesize H₂O₂ and catalyze the production of oxygen-based radical specie,s as indicated by an electron paramagnetic resonance analysis. Further studies also reveal the noninnocent nature of the solvent, resulting in the propagation of radical generation pathways.

Photocatalytic NO_xabatement is typically accompanied by the release of several potentially dangerous intermediates during the reaction. Herein, we discuss and offer solutions to this problem

We thank the European Commission for financial support through the European Project Light2CAT, funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) under the grant agreement no. 283062 Eco-Innovation, Theme EnvironmentPeer reviewedPostprin