Effect of the Gallium and Vanadium on the Dibenzothiophene Hydrodesulfurization and Naphthalene Hydrogenation Activities Using Sulfided NiMo-V2O5/Al2O3-Ga2O3

The effect of Ga and V as support-modifier and promoter of NiMoV/Al2O3-Ga2O3 catalyst on hydrogenation (HYD) and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activities was studied. The catalysts were characterized by elemental analysis, textural properties, XRD, XPS, EDS elemental mapping and High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The chemical analyses by X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and CHNS-O elemental analysis showed results for all compounds in agreement, within experimental accuracy, according to stoichiometric values proposed to Mo/Ni = 6 and (V+Ni)/(V+Ni+Mo) = 0.35. The sol-gel synthesis method increased the surface area by incorporation of Ga3+ ions into the Al2O3 forming Ga-O-Al bonding; whereas the impregnation synthesis method leads to decrease by blocking of alumina pores, as follows NiMoV/Al-Ga(1%-I) < NiMoV/Al-Ga(1%-SG) < NiMo/Al2O3 < Al2O3-Ga2O3(1%-I) < Al2O3-Ga2O3(1%-SG) < Al2O3, propitiating Dp-BJH between 6.18 and 7.89 nm. XRD confirmed a bulk structure typical of (NH4)4[NiMo6O24H6]•5H2O and XPS the presence at the surface of Mo4+, Mo6+, NixSy, Ni2+, Ga3+ and V5+ species, respectively. The EDS elemental mapping confirmed that Ni, Mo, Al, Ga, V and S are well-distributed on Al2O3-Ga2O3(1%-SG) support. The HRTEM analysis shows that the length and stacking distribution of MoS2 crystallites varied from 5.07 to 5.94 nm and 2.74 to 3.58 with synthesis method (SG to I). The results of the characterization sulfided catalysts showed that the synthesis method via impregnation induced largest presence of gallium on the surface influencing the dispersion V5+ species, this effect improves the dispersion of the MoS2 phase and increasing the number of active sites, which correlates well with the dibenzothiophene HDS and naphthalene HYD activities. The dibenzothiophene HDS activities with overall pseudo-first-order rate constants’ values (kHDS) from 1.65 to 7.07 L/(h·mol·m2) follow the order: NiMoV-S/Al-Ga(1%-I) < NiMo-S/Al2O3 < NiMoV-S/Al-Ga(1%-SG), whereas the rate constants’ values (k) of naphthalene HYD from 0.022 to 2.23 L/(h·mol·m2) as follow: NiMoV-S/Al-Ga(1%-SG) < NiMo-S/Al2O3 < NiMoV-S/Al-Ga(1%-I). We consider that Ga and V act as structural promoters in the NiMo catalysts supported on Al2O3 that allows the largest generation of BRIM sites for HYD and CUS sites for DDS.

Silica-supported NiO nanocomposites prepared via a sol–gel technique and their excellent catalytic performance for one-pot multicomponent synthesis of benzodiazepine derivatives under microwave irradiation

Heterogeneous and versatile NiO–SiO₂ NCs were synthesized by a sol–gel technique and used as a catalyst for the one-pot multicomponent synthesis of benzodiazepines.

Selective nickel-catalyzed conversion of model and lignin-derived phenolic compounds to cyclohexanone-based polymer building blocks

Valorization of lignin is essential for the economics of future lignocellulosic biorefineries. Lignin is converted into novel polymer building blocks through four steps: catalytic hydroprocessing of softwood to form 4-alkylguaiacols, their conversion into 4-alkylcyclohexanols, followed by dehydrogenation to form cyclohexanones, and Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to give caprolactones. The formation of alkylated cyclohexanols is one of the most difficult steps in the series. A liquid-phase process in the presence of nickel on CeO2 or ZrO2 catalysts is demonstrated herein to give the highest cyclohexanol yields. The catalytic reaction with 4-alkylguaiacols follows two parallel pathways with comparable rates: 1) ring hydrogenation with the formation of the corresponding alkylated 2-methoxycyclohexanol, and 2) demethoxylation to form 4-alkylphenol. Although subsequent phenol to cyclohexanol conversion is fast, the rate is limited for the removal of the methoxy group from 2-methoxycyclohexanol. Overall, this last reaction is the rate-limiting step and requires a sufficient temperature (>250 °C) to overcome the energy barrier. Substrate reactivity (with respect to the type of alkyl chain) and details of the catalyst properties (nickel loading and nickel particle size) on the reaction rates are reported in detail for the Ni/CeO2 catalyst. The best Ni/CeO2 catalyst reaches 4-alkylcyclohexanol yields over 80 %, is even able to convert real softwood-derived guaiacol mixtures and can be reused in subsequent experiments. A proof of principle of the projected cascade conversion of lignocellulose feedstock entirely into caprolactone is demonstrated by using Cu/ZrO2 for the dehydrogenation step to produce the resultant cyclohexanones (≈80 %) and tin-containing beta zeolite to form 4-alkyl-ε-caprolactones in high yields, according to a Baeyer-Villiger-type oxidation with H2 O2 .

Visible light-induced selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone on Cr–Si binary oxide with molecular oxygen

Cr-Si binary oxide prepared by a sol-gel method, when activated by visible light, catalyses highly selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone with molecular oxygen.