• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Carbon Microsphere-Supported Metallic Nickel Nanoparticles as Novel Heterogeneous Catalysts and Their Application for the Reduction of Nitrophenol
  • Contributor: Krebsz, Melinda; Kótai, László; Sajó, István E.; Váczi, Tamás; Pasinszki, Tibor
  • Published: MDPI AG, 2021
  • Published in: Molecules, 26 (2021) 18, Seite 5680
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185680
  • ISSN: 1420-3049
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: Nickel nanoparticles are gaining increasing attention in catalysis due to their versatile catalytic action. A novel, low-cost and facile method was developed in this work to synthesize carbon microsphere-supported metallic nickel nanoparticles (Ni-NP/C) for heterogeneous catalysis. The synthesis was based on carbonizing a polystyrene-based cation exchange resin loaded with nickel ions at temperatures between 500 and 1000 °C. The decomposition of the nickel-organic framework resulted in both Ni-NP and carbon microsphere formation. The phase composition, morphology and surface area of these Ni-NP/C microspheres were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and BET analysis. Elemental nickel was found to be the only metal containing phase; fcc-Ni coexisted with hcp-Ni at carbonization temperatures between 500 and 700 °C, and fcc-Ni was the only metallic phase at 800–1000 °C. Graphitization and carbon nanotube formation were observed at high temperatures. The catalytic activity of Ni-NP/C was tested in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by sodium borohydride, and Ni-NP/C was proved to be an efficient catalyst in this reaction. The relatively easy and scalable synthetic method, as well as the easy separation and catalytic activity of Ni-NP/C, provide a viable alternative to existing nickel nanocatalysts in future applications.
  • Access State: Open Access