Sodium-hypophosphite as a novel reducing agent in the preparation and characterization of silver/silica gel catalysts

New catalysts with different loading 2, 5, 8 and 11 (wt.%) silver on silica gel were prepared by chemical reduction method using a sodium-hypophosphite as a novel reducing agent. The catalytic activity was studied through the dehydrogenation of ethanol in a micro catalytic pulse system at 300–450 °C and at hydrogen flow rate 50 mL/min. The structural changes that accompanying the catalysts preparation were detected by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and infrared techniques. Results show that ethanol dehydrogenation was mainly dependent on the silver content and metal-support interaction. In other words, catalyst sample containing 8% Ag was found the most active and selective for acetaldehyde formation and that contain 11% Ag is rich with silver silicate in certain mode. A texture property of the prepared catalysts was investigated.

Graphical abstractNew catalysts with different loading 2, 5, 8 and 11 wt.% silver on silica gel were prepared by chemical reduction method using a sodium-hypophosphite as a novel reducing agent. The structural changes were detected by XRD, DSC and IR techniques. Results show that ethanol dehydrogenation (at 300–450 °C) was mainly dependent on the silver content and metal-support interaction. Catalyst sample containing 8% Ag was found the most active and selective for acetaldehyde formation and that contain 11% Ag is rich with silver silicate in certain mode. A texture property of the prepared catalysts was investigated. Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide