Preparation of mesoporous catalyst supported on silica with finely dispersed Ni particles

A novel nickel catalyst supported on SBA-15 type mesoporous silica was synthesized by the grafting of N-(trimethoxysilylpropyl)ethylene diamine triacetic acid salt (EDTA) onto the surface of SBA-15 and followed by adsorption of nickel ions and calcinations (Ni-E-SBA). The catalysts prepared were characterized using XRD, TEM, TED, SAXS and N-2 adsorption/desorption measurements. While nickel particles loaded on catalysts prepared by the wet impregnation method were found to be aggregated on the outer wall of the supports, nickel particles were finely dispersed on the surface of the mesopores in the Ni-E-SBA catalyst. The catalytic performances of the prepared catalysts were evaluated using the hydrodechlorination (HDC) of 1,1,2-trichloroethane (TCEa) as a model reaction. Results showed that the Ni-E-SBA catalyst had the highest activities of the catalysts examined under the given conditions.