Plate-like Ni–Mg–Al layered double hydroxide synthesized via a solvent-free approach and its application in hydrogenolysis of D-sorbitol

• Plate-like Ni–Mg–Al LDH was synthesized via solvent-free approach.
• Solvent-free synthesized Ni–Mg–Al LDH has bigger surface area and stronger basicity.
• Ni NPs dispersed highly on the surface of reduced Ni–Mg–Al LDH synthesized via solvent-free.
• Reduced Ni–Mg–Al LDH is highly active and stable for the hydrogenolysis of D-sorbitol under mild conditions.

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) is widely used in adsorption, additive, catalyst precursor and support. In this work, a solvent-free synthesis approach of plate-like Ni–Mg–Al LDH and its application in hydrogenolysis of D-sorbitol was reported. It was found that mainly hexagonal plate-liked LDH crystals (with a diameter of 25–30 nm and a thickness of 7.0–10.5 nm) formed in Ni3.6Mg2.4Al2(OH)16CO3-SF that synthesized via solvent-free routine. Ni3.6Mg2.4Al2(OH)16CO3-SF possessed higher crystallinity, bigger specific surface area and stronger basicity than its counterpart that synthesized in traditional coprecipitation method. Bi-functional Ni/solid-base catalyst with homogenously dispersed Ni clusters (with a mean diameter of 3.3 nm) on separated plate-liked Mg2.4Al2O5.4 sheets could be prepared after controlled calcination and reduction of Ni3.6Mg2.4Al2(OH)16CO3-SF. Ni3.6/Mg2.4Al2O5.4-SF catalyst was highly active and stable for the hydrogenolysis of D-sorbitol under mild conditions.

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