Preparation of Silica Sol-Supported NiB Nanoclusters and Their Catalytic Hydrogenation Performance

Amorphous NiB supported on silica sol with extremely small size was synthesized by chemical reduction. The morphology and structure of the samples were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy, select area electron diffraction, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The grain size of amorphous Ni was between 1 and 2 nm, and the distribution of the components was regular. NiB/silica sol exhibited a higher hydrogenation activity than commercial Raney Ni. This was ascribed to the high surface area of the silica sol and available silanol groups to anchor the active catalyst. The active Ni was highly dispersed on the support, and the surface effects of the small nanoparticles played a key role in hydrogenation.