Ni/NiO nanocomposites with rich oxygen vacancies as high-performance catalysts for nitrophenol hydrogenation

Abstract

Heterogeneous catalysis often involves charge transfer between adsorbed molecules and the surface of catalyst, and thus their activity depends on the surface charge density. The efficiency of charge transfer could be optimized by adjusting the concentration of oxygen vacancies (Ov). In this work, hexagonal Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles were initially synthesized by a hydrothermal process using aluminum powder as the sacrificial agent, and were then converted into 2D Ni/NiO nanocomposites through in situ reduction in hydrogen flow. The oxygen vacancy concentration in the NiO nanosheet could be well-controlled by adjusting the reduction temperature. This resulted in strikingly high activities for hydrogenation of nitrophenol. The Ni/NiO nanocomposite could easily be recovered by a magnetic field for reuse. The present finding is beneficial for producing better hydrogenation catalysts and paves the way for the design of highly efficient catalysts.