Electrochemical hydrogenation of coal on Ni-based catalysts

• NiB, PVP-NiB and PVP-NiB/SiO2 catalysts were prepared with chemical reduction.
• PVP-NiB/SiO2 catalysts with amorphous alloy structure, high B content and larger SBET were obtained.
• PVP-NiB/SiO2 could improve the cleavage of bridge bonds and the hydrogenation of aromatic rings and unsaturated bond.
• The electrolytic yield of coal with PVP-NiB/SiO2 catalyst could reach up to 57%.

The electrochemical hydrogenation of coal on NiB, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) bond NiB and PVP-NiB/SiO2 amorphous alloy catalysts was systematically investigated in the alkaline electrolyte. The catalysts were prepared by Watanabe method using borohydride reduction. Structural properties of the catalysts were characterized using XRD, IR, ICP, BET, TEM and XPS techniques. The activity of the catalysts has been evaluated by measuring the yield of coal hydrogenation. The results show that Ni-based catalysts could catalyze the breaking of bridge bonds in coal and add hydrogen to the derivatives of the cracked coal during the coal liquefaction. PVP-NiB/SiO2 exhibits the highest activity among NiB, PVP-NiB and PVP-NiB/SiO2 catalysts. The high activity could be attributed to larger BET surface areas, better dispersion of the Ni active nano-particles and back-donating electronic effect. The effects of the amount of catalyst and reaction temperature on the reaction were also probed.