Remarkable reduction ability towards p-nitrophenol by a synergistic effect against the aggregation and leaching of palladium nanoparticles in dendritic supported catalysts

[Display omitted] •A solution to overcome the aggregation and leaching of Pd nanoparticles.•The as-prepared catalyst displays superior abilities for p-nitrophenol reduction.•Confinement effect from dendritic nanochannels of the catalyst.•A synergistic effect from anatase titania and the coupled mercapto groups.•This versatile catalyst exhibits desirable robustness, stability, and reusability. The aggregation and leaching of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) in supported catalysts can decrease or even deactivate the catalytic activity. It is crucial but still challengeable to circumvent these drawbacks. Herein, we facilely synthesize a novel kind of composite nanocatalyst system to conquer these issues of palladium (Pd) NPs. To be specific, nanochannels of dendritic mesoporous silica&titania nanospheres (DMSTNs) could confine Pd NPs. Anatase titania (TiO2) and the coupled mercapto groups (-SH) on the surface could remarkably disperse and robustly anchor Pd. The as-prepared DMSTNs-SH-Pd displays outstanding performance in p-nitrophenol reduction, where a synergistic effect of the chemical composition and surface functionality on the catalytic activity can be further confirmed by photocatalytic water splitting and Suzuki coupling reaction. The strategy for Pd NPs spatially confined in nanochannels and finely decorated on chemically functionalized supports might be versatile for other noble metals like gold (Au), platinum (Pt), etc.