Synthesis of nickel phosphide nano-particles in a eutectic mixture for hydrotreating reactions

Journal of Materials Chemistry Pub Date: 2011-04-28 DOI: 10.1039/C1JM10230C

Abstract

Ni2+ and H2PO2? with a molar ratio of 1/3 were heated at 423 K in a eutectic mixture composed of choline chloride and urea, resulting in the formation of a mesoporous and amorphous material with surface area of about 210 m2 g?1. Heat treatment of this material in H2 at 673 K led to the formation of crystalline Ni2P (25%) supported on amorphous and mesoporous Ni3(PO4)2-Ni2P2O7 (shortened as NiPO) with a surface area of about 130 m2 g?1. The NiPO was presumably produced from the reaction of unreduced Ni2+ with PO43? formed from the oxidation of H2PO2? in the eutectic mixture, which might also act as a template for the formation of mesopores in NiPO. The catalyst 25% Ni2P/NiPO exhibited a quite high uptake for the adsorption of CO (38 μmol g?1), and thus it is quite active for the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene, hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline and hydrogenation of tetralin in a model diesel.

Graphical abstract: Synthesis of nickel phosphide nano-particles in a eutectic mixture for hydrotreating reactions
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