Catalytic reduction of nitrite ions in drinking water over Pd-Cu/TiO2 bimetallic catalyst

Titania supported palladium-copper bimetallic catalysts (Pd-Cu/TiO2) are prepared by liquid-phase chemical reduction method and then applied in the catalytic reduction of nitrite ions in drinking water. The nitrite conversion and selectivity to N2influenced by metal molar ratio (Pd:Cu), H2flow rate, CO2flow rate, pH value of solution and reaction temperature are also discussed in detail with physical characterizations methods such as XPS, XRD, in situ FT-IR. It is discovered that bimetallic Pd-Cu/TiO2catalyst has higher activity than monometallic Pd/TiO2catalyst in the catalytic reduction of nitrite ions and a mechanism is proposed to explain this promoting effect of bimetallic catalyst in this paper. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.