Pds nanoparticles are deposited on fiberglass surface from H2PdCl4 precursor.
1–2 nm Pdv clusters are confined in fiberglass bulk via [Pd(NH3)4]2+ ion exchange.
Unlike Pds, the Pdv clusters show high selectivity in the hydrogenation of acetylene.
SSITKA study using 13C2H2 showed that ethane is formed from acetylene only.
Gas-phase ethylene is not involved in the hydrogenation reaction at all.