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Ni-based xero- and aerogels as catalysts for nitroxidation processes

Cutrufello, M.G., Rombi, E., Ferino, I., Loche, D., Corrias, A., Casula, M.F. (2011) Ni-based xero- and aerogels as catalysts for nitroxidation processes. Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 60 (3). pp. 324-332. ISSN 0928-0707. (doi:10.1007/s10971-011-2460-5) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:46168)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10971-011-2460-5

Abstract

Porous nanocomposites made out of nickel dispersed on silica or alumina matrices were prepared as prospective catalysts for the nitroxidation of hydrocarbons in the form of aerogel or xerogel by adopting either a supercritical or a conventional gel drying procedure. The structural and textural features of the materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and N 2 physisorption and combined to the acid/base and reducibility data as deduced by adsorption microcalorimetry and temperature programmed reduction (TPR) profiles. The alumina-based samples are made out of nanocrystalline nickel aluminate and are mesoporous, although the aerogel has larger pore volumes and surface area than the xerogel. On the other hand, in the silica-based samples nickel oxide nanocrystals are dispersed on amorphous silica, the size of the nanocrystals being around 5 nm in the microporous xerogel and 14 nm in the mainly mesoporous aerogel. TPR data point out that the aluminabased samples have similar reducibility, whereas significant differences were observed in the silica-supported composites, the NiO-SiO 2 aerogel exhibiting improved reducibility at low temperature. The NO-catalyst interaction was monitored by temperature programmed NO reaction coupled to mass spectrometry and preliminary tests on the use of the NiO-SiO 2 xerogel and aerogel nanocomposites for the catalytic nitroxidation of 1-methylnaphthalene to 1-naphthonitrile were obtained in a fixedbed continuous-flow reactor. The data indicate that the aerogel exhibits larger selectivity than the corresponding xerogel, pointing out the importance of tuning the sol-gel parameters in the design of porous composite materials for catalytic applications.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1007/s10971-011-2460-5
Uncontrolled keywords: Aerogels, Catalysis, Nanocomposites, Nickel, Nitroxidation, Xerogels, Adsorption microcalorimetry, Aerogel nanocomposites, Amorphous silica, Catalytic applications, Continuous-flow reactors, Data points, Fixed-bed, Gel drying, Low temperatures, Mesoporous, Mesoporous aerogel, Microporous, Nano-crystalline nickel, NiO-SiO, Nitroxidation, Oxide nanocrystals, Pore volume, Super-critical, Surface area, Temperature-programmed NO, Temperature-programmed reduction, Textural feature, Alumina, Catalysis, Catalysts, Composite materials, Hydrocarbons, Mass spectrometry, Nanocomposites, Nanocrystals, Nickel, Nickel oxide, Physisorption, Silica, Silicon compounds, Sol-gel process, Sol-gels, Sols, Transmission electron microscopy, X ray diffraction, X ray diffraction analysis, Xerogels, Aerogels
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics > QC176.8.N35 Nanoscience, nanotechnology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Anna Corrias
Date Deposited: 16 Dec 2014 14:37 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:18 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/46168 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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