Effect of Linkers in Palladium Reduced Graphene Oxide as Catalyst in Hydrogenation Under Electric Field: Experimental and Computational Study

Authors

  • Siti Aisyah Zulaikha Binti Zulkefli Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
  • Fazira Ilyana Abdul Razak Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. , Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, 60115 Surabaya, Indonesia
  • Roichatul Madinah Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6366-5905 (unauthenticated)
  • Shi Wee Yee Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11113/jomalisc.v5.127

Keywords:

Density-functional theory, External electric field, Linker, Palladium, Reduced graphene oxide, hydrogenation

Abstract

Hydrogenation is an important industrial process that commonly requires high temperatures and pressures, leading to high energy consumption and catalyst deactivation. In this study, the effects of different linker systems on palladium–reduced graphene oxide (Pd/rGO) catalysts for hydrogenation under an external electric field (EEF) were investigated. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polypyrrole (PPy), and chitosan (CS) were used as linkers in the synthesis of Pd–rGO catalysts. The prepared catalysts were characterized using ATR-FTIR, SEM, and ICP-OES analyses to evaluate chemical interactions, morphology, and palladium loading. ICP-OES results showed that Pd–CS/rGO exhibited the highest Pd loading of 4.58 wt%, indicating stronger Pd immobilization by the amino and hydroxyl functional groups of chitosan. Catalytic performance was evaluated through the hydrogenation of 1-octene under EEF-assisted conditions and analyzed using GC-FID. Among the investigated catalysts, Pd–CS/rGO showed the highest catalytic activity with 11.3% conversion. Density-functional theory calculations further revealed differences in the electronic distribution and electrostatic characteristics of the linker monomers, which were generally consistent with the experimental observations. Overall, linker chemistry was found to influence Pd incorporation, electronic behavior, and catalytic performance under external electric field conditions.

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Published

2026-05-30

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How to Cite

Effect of Linkers in Palladium Reduced Graphene Oxide as Catalyst in Hydrogenation Under Electric Field: Experimental and Computational Study. (2026). Journal of Materials in Life Sciences , 5(1), 92-102. https://doi.org/10.11113/jomalisc.v5.127