Size control of rhodium particles of silica-supported catalysts using water-in-oil microemulsion

Effects of components of water-in-oil microemulsions on rhodium particle sizes of silica-supported rhodium catalysts were investigated in the catalyst preparation method using microemulsion. In the case of the microemulsion of polyoxyethylene(23)dodecyl ether/n-alcohols/RhCl3 aq., the rhodium particle size increased from 3.4 to 5.0 nm as the specific permittivity of the organic solvent increased. The chain length of hydrophilic group of polyoxyethylene-p-nonylphenyl ether (n = 5 to 15) employed as surfactants had an effect on the rhodium particle size where the rhodium size ranged between 2.0 and 3.6 nm. The rhodium particle size was 1.5 nm in the case of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfocuccinate and this value was found to be the smallest. These results could be interpreted in terms of the adsorption of the surfactant on rhodium-hydrazine particle surface.