Catalytic activity of palladium nanocubes/multiwalled carbon nanotubes structures for methyl orange dye removal

Abstract In this work, the synthesis and catalytic activity measurements of a nanostructured material formed by palladium (Pd) nanocubes supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for removing methyl orange as a model of organic contaminant from aqueous solution are presented. The nanocubes were synthesized by a reduction process of H 2 PdCl 4 and a non-covalent method that involves a surfactant functionalization of the carbon nanotubes was used to produce the nanostructured material. Characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis. Results showed well dispersed Pd nanocubes, in the range of 15–25 nm, bonded onto the carbon nanotubes. The catalytic experiments exhibited 81.9% methyl orange removal after 8 min and 99% after 60 min using 1 mg of the nanostructured material per every 20 mg/L of the dye.