Sol-gel synthesis of Ni-based catalyst: the effect of phosphotungstic acid and organosilane on the catalytic activity in water-gas shift reaction

Author(s)

Renato Antonio Barba Encarnación

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC/BT)
• Defense date: 2014-03-14

Examining board members

Ubirajara Pereira Rodrigues Filho; Elisabete Moreira Assaf; Abner de Siervo

• Advisor: Ubirajara Pereira Rodrigues Filho

Abstract

This dissertation describes the preparation of Ni (II)-based catalyst precursor material and its subsequent conversion to Ni-based xerogels catalyst as well as the catalytic activity of the resultant catalyst in water-gas shift reaction. The water-gas shift reaction was selected as a model reaction for the evaluation of catalytic activity of the prepared catalysts. The effect of addition of phosphotungstic acid (HPW) as an activity promoting agent and organosilane as dispersing agents of Ni was also studied. For this purpose, Ni-based catalyst (NS-x) containing various amounts (x) of HPW (x= 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 wt. %) were prepared using the sol-gel process. These catalysts were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), nitrogen adsorption measurements (BET method) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The catalytic tests were performed at a temperature of 250-425 °C in a reactor coupled with gas chromatograph (GC) for direct in situ analysis of the reaction products. The results obtained showed that addition of HPW up to 2 wt % leads to an increase in the efficiency of the catalyst from 10% to 31%, as measured by the rate of conversion of CO. However, further increase in the amount of HPW above 2 wt. % leads to a decrease in activity of the catalyst. A qualitative model based on the formation of amorphous Ni-phosphotungstate salt is proposed to explain this behaviour of the catalyst. In a second part of this study, the amount of HPW (2 wt. %) and temperature (425 °C) were fixed and nitrogenate d silanes with amine and nitrile functional groups were added to the catalyst to evaluate the role of these ormosils as dispersing agents for metallic cations in the hybrid precursor material as well as metallic nickel in the final catalyst. The catalyst derived from precursor containing ormosils with ammine functional groups (3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane) showed better catalytic activity than those containing nitrile functional groups (4-(Triethoxysilyl)butyronitrile). However, the catalytic activity of the catalysts obtained using ormosils bearing nitrogenated silanes was lower than xerogels catalyst prepared without addition of these silanes. Although, the catalysts prepared using the ormosils bearing nitrogenated silanes showed higher stability than NS-x catalyst. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/05086-5 - Synthesis and use of ormosils as catalysts for water gas-shift reaction
• Grantee: Renato Antonio Barba Encarnacion
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master