The nature of raney nickel, its adsorbed hydrogen and its catalytic activity for hydrogenation reactions (review)

Air-Stable Ni Catalysts Prepared by Liquid-Phase Reduction Using Hydrosilanes for Reactions with Hydrogen

The liquid-phase reduction method for the preparation of metal nanoparticles (NPs) by the reduction of metal salts or metal complexes in a solvent with a reducing agent is widely used to prepare Ni NPs that exhibit high catalytic activity in various organic transformations. Intensive research has been conducted on control of the morphology and size of Ni NPs by the addition of polymers and long-chain compounds as protective agents; however, these agents typically cause a decrease in catalytic activity. Here, we report on the preparation of Ni NPs using hydrosilane (Ni-Si) as a reducing agent and a size-controlling agent. The substituents on silicon can control not only the size but also the crystal phase of the Ni NPs. The prepared Ni NPs exhibited high catalytic performance for the hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds, aromatics, and heteroaromatics to give the corresponding hydrogenated products in high yields. The unique feature of Ni catalysts prepared by the hydrosilane-assisted method is that the catalysts can be handled under air as opposed to conventional Ni catalysts such as Raney Ni. Characterization studies indicated that the surface hydroxide was reduced under the catalytic reaction conditions with H2 at around 100 °C and with the assistance of organosilicon compounds deposited on the catalyst surface. The hydrosilane-assisted method presented here could be applied to the preparation of supported Ni catalysts (Ni-Si/support). The interaction between the Ni NPs and a metal oxide support enabled the direct amination of alcohols with ammonia to afford the primary amine selectively.

Novel Catalyst Composites of Ni- and Co-Based Nanoparticles Supported on Inorganic Oxides for Fatty Acid Hydrogenations

In the quest to develop nanometrically defined catalytic systems for applications in the catalytic valorization of agri-food wastes, small Ni-based nanoparticles supported on inorganic solid supports have been prepared by decomposition of organometallic precursors in refluxing ethanol under H₂ atmosphere, in the presence of supports exhibiting insulating or semi-conductor properties, such as MgAl₂O₄ and TiO₂, respectively. The efficiency of the as-prepared Ni-based nanocomposites has been evaluated towards the hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids under solvent-free conditions, with high selectivity regarding the hydrogenation of C=C bonds. The influence of the support on the catalytic performance of the prepared Ni-based nanocomposites is particularly highlighted.

Upgrading heterogeneous Ni catalysts with thiol modification

Precious metal catalysts are the cornerstone of many industrial processes. Replacing precious metal catalysts with earth-abundant metals is one of key challenges for the green and sustainable development of chemical industry. We report in this work a surprisingly effective strategy toward the development of cost-effective, air-stable, and efficient Ni catalysts by simple surface modification with thiols. The as-prepared catalysts exhibit unprecedentedly high activity and selectivity in the reductive amination of aldehydes/ketones. The thiol modification can not only prevent the deep oxidation of Ni surface to endow the catalyst with long shelf life in air but can also allow the reductive amination to proceed via a non-contact mechanism to selectively produce primary amines. The catalytic performance is far superior to that of precious and non-precious metal catalysts reported in the literature. The wide application scope and high catalytic performance of the developed Ni catalysts make them highly promising for the low-cost, green production of high-value amines in chemical industry.

Molten Salt Synthesis of Intermetallic Compound TiNi Nanopowder Passivated by TiOx Shell Prepared from NiTiO3 for Catalytic Hydrogenation

Titanium-nickel alloy is an attractive material due to its unique properties of shape memory effect, superior elasticity, and biocompatibility. Generally, Ti-Ni alloy powders are prepared from pure elemental powders of Ti and Ni as starting materials, but it is an energy-intensive process to obtain pure titanium. In this study, intermetallic compound TiNi powder passivated by TiOx shell was prepared by directly reducing a commercial NiTiO3 using CaH2 reducing agent in a molten LiCl at 650 °C. Analyses by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the powder had a core-shell structure, with the core of TiNi and the shell of TiOx-rich composition with scarce metallic Ni nicely catalyzing hydrogenation reactions with good recyclability and stability.

Selective conversion of methane to cyclohexane and hydrogen via efficient hydrogen transfer catalyzed by GaN supported platinum clusters

Non-oxidative liquefaction of methane at room temperature and ambient pressure has long been a scientific "holy grail" of chemical research. Herein, we exploit an unprecedented catalytic transformation of methane exclusively to cyclohexane and hydrogen evolution through effective surface-hydrogen-transfer (SHT) at the heterojunctions boundary consisting of electron-rich platinum cluster (Pt) loaded on methane-activating gallium nitride (GaN) host. The experimental analysis demonstrates that the interface-induced overall reaction starts with methane aromatization to benzene and surface-bound hydrogen initiated by the Ga-N pairs, followed by the hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexane with surface-bound hydrogen. The in-situ activated hydrogen at electron-rich metal Pt cluster is crucial for the hydrogenation and enables an outstanding selectivity (up to 92%) and productivity (41 μmol g-1) towards cyclohexane and hydrogen evolution concurrently at 300 °C, which is well-delivered after 5 recycling runs.

Nickel carbide (Ni3C) nanoparticles for catalytic hydrogenation of model compounds in solvent

Nickel carbide nanoparticles (Ni3C) synthesized in high-boiling point solvent are used as colloidal catalysts for the hydrogenation of polar groups and hydrocarbons. They are stable under operating conditions (100 °C, 7 bar H2).

Insight into Biomass Upgrade: A Review on Hydrogenation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-Dimethylfuran (DMF)

Recent developments in the transformation of biobased 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into a potential liquid fuel, 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), are summarised. This review focuses briefly on the history of HMF conversion to DMF in terms of the feedstock used and emphasises the ideal requirements in terms of the catalytic properties needed in HMF transformation into DMF. The recent state of the art and works on HMF transformation into DMF are discussed in comparison to noble metals and non-noble metals as well as bimetallic catalysts. The effect of the support used and the reaction conditions are also discussed. The recommendations for future work and challenges faced are specified.

Light-Driven Waste-To-Value Upcycling: Bio-Based Polyols and Polyurethanes from the Photo-Oxygenation of Cardanols

The upcycling of waste biomass into valuable materials by resource-efficient chemical transformations is a prime objective for sustainable chemistry. This approach is demonstrated in a straightforward light-driven synthesis of polyols and polyurethane foams from the multi-ton waste products of cashew nut processing. The photo-oxygenation of cardanol from nutshell oil results in the formation of synthetically versatile hydroperoxides. The choice of the workup method (i. e., reduction, hydrogenation, epoxidation) enables access to a diverse range of alcohols with tunable alkene and OH functions. Condensation with isocyanates to give rigid polyurethane foams provides a resource-efficient waste-to-value chain that benefits from the availability of cardanol and installation of OH groups from aerial O2 .

Regeneration of Raney®-Nickel Catalyst for the Synthesis of High-Value Amino-Ester Renewable Monomers

Aiming to synthesize high-value renewable monomers for the preparation of renewable specialty polyamides, we designed a new protocol. Amino-esters, produced via the hydrogenation of unsaturated nitrile-esters, are alternative monomers for the production of these polymers. A high monomer yield can be obtained using a Raney®-nickel catalyst despite the drawback of fast deactivation. The hydrogenation of 10-cyano-9-decenoate (UNE11) was tentatively reactivated by three different regeneration procedures: solvent wash, regeneration under hydrogen, and regeneration under sonication. Among these procedures, the in-pot catalyst regeneration (H2 30 bar, 150 °C) demonstrated complete activity recovery and full recycling.

Carbon-Based Photocathode Materials for Solar Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen is considered a promising environmentally friendly energy carrier for replacing traditional fossil fuels. In this context, photoelectrochemical cells effectively convert solar energy directly to H₂ fuel by water photoelectrolysis, thereby monolitically combining the functions of both light harvesting and electrolysis. In such devices, photocathodes and photoanodes carry out the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. Here, the focus is on photocathodes for HER, traditionally based on metal oxides, III-V group and II-VI group semiconductors, silicon, and copper-based chalcogenides as photoactive material. Recently, carbon-based materials have emerged as reliable alternatives to the aforementioned materials. A perspective on carbon-based photocathodes is provided here, critically analyzing recent research progress and outlining the major guidelines for the development of efficient and stable photocathode architectures. In particular, the functional role of charge-selective and protective layers, which enhance both the efficiency and the durability of the photocathodes, is discussed. An in-depth evaluation of the state-of-the-art fabrication of photocathodes through scalable, high-troughput, cost-effective methods is presented. The major aspects on the development of light-trapping nanostructured architectures are also addressed. Finally, the key challenges on future research directions in terms of potential performance and manufacturability of photocathodes are analyzed.

Highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles on mesoporous silica nanospheres by melt infiltration for transfer hydrogenation of aryl ketones

Nickel-based catalysts have been applied to the catalytic reactions for transfer hydrogenation of aryl ketones.

Metal Nanotube/Nanowire-Based Unsupported Network Electrocatalysts

Combining 1D metal nanotubes and nanowires into cross-linked 2D and 3D architectures represents an attractive design strategy for creating tailored unsupported catalysts. Such materials complement the functionality and high surface area of the nanoscale building blocks with the stability, continuous conduction pathways, efficient mass transfer, and convenient handling of a free-standing, interconnected, open-porous superstructure. This review summarizes synthetic approaches toward metal nano-networks of varying dimensionality, including the assembly of colloidal 1D nanostructures, the buildup of nanofibrous networks by electrospinning, and direct, template-assisted deposition methods. It is outlined how the nanostructure, porosity, network architecture, and composition of such materials can be tuned by the fabrication conditions and additional processing steps. Finally, it is shown how these synthetic tools can be employed for designing and optimizing self-supported metal nano-networks for application in electrocatalysis and related fields.

Synthesis of Catalytic Nanoporous Metallic Thin Films on Polymer Membranes

Composite membranes were produced with a metallic thin film forming the upper layer of the composite on a porous polymer support. Commercially available membranes were used as supports with both micron and nanometer scale pores. Alloy films of ~110 nm thickness were deposited via magnetron sputtering to produce the top layer of the composite. Dealloying the film with sulfuric acid allowed the creation of a nanoporous film structure with a ligament size of 7.7 ± 2.5 nm. Resulting composite membranes were permeable to water at all stages of production, and a UF PSf membrane with 90 nm of nanoporous Fe/Pd on top showed a flux of 183 LHM/bar. The films were evaluated for dechlorination of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls from water. At a loading of 6.6 mg/L of Pd attached to 13.2 cm² support in a 2.5 ppm PCB-1 solution with 1.5 ppm dissolved H₂, over 90% of PCB-1 was removed from solution in 30 minutes, which produced the expected product biphenyl from the dechlorination reaction.

Structure and properties of nanocrystalline nickel prepared by selective leaching at different temperatures

Nanocrystalline nickel is an interesting material for catalysis, and also, like all nanocrystalline metals, it has potential for structural application. Our aim was to develop a method for preparation of precursor materials for powder metallurgy. Because of this, selective leaching of binary alloy was chosen as it leads to production of nanocrystalline clustered (sub)micro particles. In this work, the preparation of Ni particles by selective leaching of Al matrix from Al-50 wt.% Ni in NaOH water solution is described. It was found that structure and magnetic properties were strongly dependent on leaching temperature, which was proven by characterization of Ni particles leached at −20, 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80°C. The microstructure of as-prepared particles was observed by HRTEM and also by small angle neutron scattering. Magnetic properties were characterized by measuring of saturation magnetization. It was proven that with increased leaching temperature the grain size of prepared nanocrystalline particles increased. Also the value of saturated magnetization follows the same trend. The amount of hydrogen stored in nickel particles is independent on leaching temperature.

A highly effective Ag–RANEY® nickel hybrid catalyst for reduction of nitrofurazone and aromatic nitro compounds in aqueous solution

RANEY® nickel reduced Ag⁺ ions to form ultrafine spherical silver nanoparticles over itself, and the obtained hybrid material was used as catalyst for efficient and selective reduction of nitro compounds, in aqueous solution by using NaBH₄.

A novel compact cathode using sponge-like RANEY® nickel as the sulfur immobilizer for lithium–sulfur batteries

A novel sulfur immobilizer named RANEY® nickel is introduced for lithium–sulfur batteries for the first time.

Polymer-Supported Raney Nickel Catalysts for Sustainable Reduction Reactions

Green is the future of chemistry. Catalysts with high selectivity are the key to green chemistry. Polymer-supported Raney catalysts have been found to have outstanding performance in the clean preparation of some chemicals. For example, a polyamide 6-supported Raney nickel catalyst provided a 100.0% conversion of n-butyraldehyde without producing any detectable n-butyl ether, the main byproduct in industry, and eliminated the two main byproducts (isopropyl ether and methyl-iso-butylcarbinol) in the hydrogenation of acetone to isopropanol. Meanwhile, a model for how the polymer support brought about the elimination of byproducts is proposed and confirmed. In this account the preparation and applications of polymer-supported Raney catalysts along with the corresponding models will be reviewed.

Fibrous AuPt bimetallic nanocatalyst with enhanced catalytic performance

Enhanced-catalytic hydrogenation of acetone is observed over AuPt fibrous bimetallic nanoparticles. High d-electron instability in Pt nanocrystal upon bimetallisation is the key factor for high-catalytic performance.

Transfer Hydrogenation Employing Ethylene Diamine Bisborane in Water and Pd- and Ru-Nanoparticles in Ionic Liquids

Herein we demonstrate the use of ethylenediamine bisborane (EDAB) as a suitable hydrogen source for transfer hydrogenation reactions on C-C double bonds mediated by metal nanoparticles. Moreover, EDAB also acts as a reducing agent for carbonyl functionalities in water under metal-free conditions.

Neutron diffraction studies for realtime leaching of catalytic Ni

The leaching of Al from intermetallic samples of Nickel Aluminium alloys to form Raney-type nickel catalysts is widely used in the hydrogenation industry, however, little is known of the leaching process itself. In this study, the leaching of Al was measured in realtime, in situ, using the high-flux powder neutron diffractometer, D20, at the Institut Laue-Langevin. Despite the liberation of hydrogen and effervescent nature of the reaction the transformation of the dry powder phases into Raney-type Ni was determined. Samples produced by gas-atomisation were found to leach faster than those produced using the cast and crushed technique. Regardless of processing route of the precursor powder, the formation of spongy-Ni occurs almost immediately, while Ni2Al3 and NiAl3 continue to transform over longer periods of time. Small-angle scattering and broadening of the diffraction peaks is an evidence for the formation of the smaller Ni particles. Understanding the kinetics of the leaching process will allow industry to refine production of catalysts for optimum manufacturing time while knowledge of leaching dynamics of powders produced by different manufacturing techniques will allow further tailoring of catalytic materials.

Polymer-supported catalysts for clean preparation of n-butanol

Embedding of alloy particles into a polymer surface ensures both firm supporting and easy activation.

Catalytic hydrogenation of CC and CO in unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters

Review summarizing recent developments in hydrogenation of CC and CO in FAMEs focusing on catalysts, reaction mechanisms, and reactor conditions.

Rapid reduction of N-nitrosamine disinfection byproducts in water with hydrogen and porous nickel catalysts

There is a need for new technologies to rapidly and economically treatwater contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and related compounds because of their high toxicity and recent detection in drinking water sources as a consequence of industrial releases and chlorine disinfection of wastewater effluent Treatment of N-nitrosamines with H2 in conjunction with a high surface area porous nickel material, a model nonprecious metal catalyst, has been evaluated. Experiments show that NDMA is reduced rapidly and catalytically to dimethylamine and N2 (e.g., t1/2 = 1.5 min for 500 mg/L catalyst and PH2 = 1 atm), and kinetic trends are consistent with a surface-mediated mechanism involving scission of the N-nitrosamine N-N bond and subsequent reactions with adsorbed atomic hydrogen. The metal-loading-normalized pseudo-first-order rate constant (77.9 +/- 13.1 L g(Ni)(-1) h(-1)) exceeds values reported for Pd-based catalysts. Several related N-nitrosamines react at rates similar to those of NDMA, indicating a weak dependence on structure. The reaction rates for NDMA reduction are not significantly affected by changing pH, and the presence of high concentrations of many common water constituents (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO4(2-), HCO(3-), and NOM) exerts only a small effect on reaction rates. Nitrate is also reduced by the Ni catalyst, and high nitrate concentrations competitively inhibit the reduction of NDMA. (Bi)sulfide poisons the catalyst by strong chemisorption to the Ni surface. Cost-normalized rate constants for the Ni catalyst are highly favorable compared to Pd-based catalysts, indicating that, with further development, Ni-based catalysts may become attractive alternatives to precious metal catalysts.