Effect of the Ni/Cu ratio on the composition and catalytic properties of nickel-copper alloy in anisole hydrodeoxygenation

• Published in: Kinetics and catalysis 2014, Vol.55 (1), p.69-78
• Main Authors: Smirnov, A. A., Khromova, S. A., Bulavchenko, O. A., Kaichev, V. V., Saraev, A. A., Reshetnikov, S. I., Bykova, M. V., Trusov, L. I., Yakovlev, V. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Physical Chemistry
• ISSN: 0023-1584; 1608-3210
• DOI: 10.1134/S0023158414010145

The activity of NiCu-SiO 2 catalysts with a metal content of 90% and different Ni/Cu ratios has been investigated in the hydrodeoxygenation of anisole, a model compound of bio-oil, at 280°C and 6 MPa. A homogeneous phase composition of the active component has been synthesized by the co-decomposition of nickel and copper nitrates followed by the introduction of SiO 2 as a stabilizer. The resulting catalysts have been characterized by temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive microanalysis. The bulk and surface composition of active-component particles has been determined by XPS and X-ray diffraction. In all of the catalysts containing 15–85 wt % Ni, there are two types of solid solutions. One has a constant composition, Cu 0.95 Ni 0.05 , which is independent of the Ni/Cu ratio in the catalyst; in the other, the nickel stoichiometry increases with an increasing Ni content of the active component. A correlation has been established between the Ni/Cu ratio and the rate constants of the reaction examined and between the Ni/Cu ratio and the degree of hydrodeoxygenation for all samples. The most active catalyst is Ni85Cu5-SiO 2 .