Superficial Pd nanoparticles supported on carbonaceous SBA-15 as efficient hydrotreating catalyst for upgrading biodiesel fuel

Abstract Facile synthesis of superficial Pd nanoparticles supported on carbonaceous SBA-15 (denoted as Pd/@SBA-15) as a new hydrotreating catalyst with enhanced activity and sulfur tolerance was accomplished for the production of partially hydrogenated fatty acid methyl esters (H-FAME), a high-quality biodiesel fuel enriched in monosaturated fatty acid methyl esters (mono-FAME) that can be used in high blends. Characterization, especially high-resolution electron microscopes and temperature-programmed techniques, indicated that the Pd nanoparticles (∼7 nm) formed spontaneously at the superficial area of carbonaceous SBA-15 with a hydrophobic surface and low acidity. In the synthesis of H-FAME using commercial palm oil-derived biodiesel fuel as a feedstock under mild conditions (