Preparation and activity evaluation of NiMoB/γ-Al2O3 catalyst by liquid-phase furfural hydrogenation

Amorphous MoNiB/gamma-Al2O3 alloy catalysts were prepared by reducing NiCl2 center dot 6H(2)O and (NH4)(6)Mo7O24 center dot 4H(2)O supported on gamma-Al2O3 with NaBH4 as reducing agent. Using liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural (FFR) as a probe reaction, the activity of MoNiB/gamma-Al2O3 was examined. Compared to NiB and NiMoB, NiMoB/gamma-Al2O3 exhibited excellent activity and selectivity towards furfuryl alcohol (FFA). After reaction for 3.0h at 80 degrees C and 5.0 MPa in methanol, FFR conversion reached 99% with FFA yield of 91%. The effects of doping amount of Mo and calcination temperature before NaBH4 reduction on hydrogenation activity were also investigated. The optimum Mo/Ni atom ratio and calcination temperature were found to be 1:7 and 300 degrees C, respectively. XRD patterns and SEM images indicated that NiMoB over the surface of gamma-Al2O3 was amorphous and highly dispersed, which was responsible for the high thermal stability of the title catalyst. (C) 2010 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.