Controlling Size and Morphology of Copper and Copper-Nickel Nanoparticles Supported on Porous Silica for Catalytic Ethanol Dehydrogenation

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Authors

POKORNÝ Tomáš STÝSKALÍK Aleš VYKOUKAL Vít

Year of publication 2021
Type Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Description Controlling size and morphology of copper and copper-nickel nanoparticles supported on porous silica for catalytic ethanol dehydrogenation In heterogeneous catalysis, unique nanoparticles’ properties, especially a high percentage of surface atoms, are highly desired. Copper nanoparticles are active in (bio)ethanol dehydrogenation producing acetaldehyde. This catalytic reaction presents the first step in 1,3-butadiene production from ethanol and could become a sustainable substitution for current acetaldehyde and butadiene production (based on oil refinement). This research project deals with various copper and copper-nickel silica-supported nanoparticles synthesized by different methods: solvothermal hot-injection, dry impregnation, electrostatic impregnation, hydrolytic and non-hydrolytic sol-gel. Various synthetic methods offer metal nanoparticles with different morphologies, sizes (from atomic dispersion to 20 nm), and particle size distributions. Several techniques were used to study these catalysts: scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with electron dispersive spectroscopy, nitrogen porosimetry, thermogravimetry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The catalytic performance of prepared catalysts was tested in the ethanol dehydrogenation in a gas-phase fixed-bed catalytic reactor. Light-off catalyst curves were established from 180 °C to 290 °C; stability with time-on-stream was tested at 325 °C for 10 hours. Copper nanoparticles are highly active and selective in the desired reaction (up to 89 % ethanol conversion at 250 °C) but suffer from coking and particle sintering, hampering their long-term stability. Nickel addition enhanced low-temperature catalyst performance. However, the catalyst’s stability needs to be further improved. The work has been financially supported by the Czech Science Foundation under the project GJ20-03636Y.
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