Promotion of Ni/clay catalytic activity for hydrogenation of naphthalene by organic modification of clay

A Ni/montmorillonite (MMT) catalyst was prepared by an impregnation method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-pillared MMT as the supporting matrix and was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, H2 temperature-programmed desorption, N2 adsorption-desorption, and ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the Ni/MMT for the hydrogenation of naphthalene was also evaluated. The results show that the organic modification of MMT greatly improved the Ni dispersion and textural properties of the Ni/MMT catalyst. The as-prepared Ni/MMT catalyst showed high naphthalene conversion (88.2%) in the hydrogenation reaction; this is much higher than those achieved using Ni supported on pristine MMT (13.1%), Al2O3-pillared MMT (24.2%), and SBA-15 (68.2%). As a result of thermal decomposition of CTAB pillars during reduction of the Ni/MMT catalyst, the CTAB pillars mainly play a role in the Ni/MMT catalyst during impregnation. A mechanism for the promotion of the Ni/MMT catalytic activity by organic modification during impregnation is proposed.

Graphical AbstractThe catalytic activity of Ni/MMT is greatly promoted by using CTAB-pillared MMT as a support. The CTAB pillars enlarge the basal spacing of MMT, and occlude and complex with the introduced Ni2+ ions during impregnation.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide