Pingjun Guo

An environmentally benign and catalytically efficient non-pyrophoric Ni catalyst for aqueous-phase reforming of ethylene glycol

A non-pyrophoric Ni catalyst (NP Ni) was prepared by alkali leaching of a Ni50Al50 alloy using only ∼ 1/10 of the amount of NaOH required for the preparation of the conventional Raney Ni catalyst. Characterizations reveal that the as-prepared NP Ni catalyst can be looked at as a Ni–Al(OH)3 composite catalyst with Ni in the metallic state and Al(OH)3 in forms of gibbsite and bayerite. After 100 h on stream in aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of ethylene glycol, phase transformation of gibbsite and bayerite to flake-like boehmite occurred, along with the growth of Ni crystallites and partial oxidation of metallic Ni to Ni(OH)2. Under identical reaction conditions for APR of ethylene glycol, the NP Ni catalyst is about 40–52% more active than Raney Ni in terms of the conversion of ethylene glycol to gas products, which is attributed to the stabilizing effect of hydrated alumina on Ni crystallites. The higher selectivity toward H2 and the lower concentration of CO in the product gas on the NP Ni catalyst are attributed to the activation of water by hydrated alumina which is beneficial to the water-gas shift reaction.

A non-noble amorphous Co–Fe–B catalyst highly selective in liquid phase hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde to crotyl alcohol

A nanosized amorphous Co–Fe–B catalyst exhibited higher selectivity and yield to crotyl alcohol than noble Pt-based catalysts in the hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde and could be prepared by a facile chemical reduction method.

Selective hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde over Au nanoparticles confined in APTS-functionalized mesoporous silicas

Au-containing SBA-15 catalysts were prepared by the conventional wet impregnation method, two-solvent method and grafting method, respectively. The effect of the preparation method, resulting in different Au particle size and metal-support interaction, has been investigated in liquid phase hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde. It is found that the overall activity and selectivity to crotyl alcohol are effectively enhanced after incorporation of Au nanoparticle to SBA-15 by the grafting method. Over Au/APTS-SBA-15, the maximum yield of crotyl alcohol amounts to 51.7%, and the corresponding selectivity is as high as 53.6%. Based on the characterizations, the superior catalytic activity and selectivity are attributed to the smaller Au nanoparticles and the electronic interaction between APTS and Au, respectively.