Preparation of NiO Nanocatalyst Supported on MWCNTs and Its Application in Reduction of Nitrobenzene to Aniline in Liquid Phase

Abstract

In this research NiO nanoparticles supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and activated carbon were prepared and applied as nanocatalyst in hydrogenation of nitrobenzene (NB) to aniline (AN). The nanocatalysts were prepared via homogenous deposition precipitation from nickel nitrate hexahydrate using urea as reducing agent and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidinone as dispersant agents in aqueous media. The nanocatalysts were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, XRD, TEM, TPR, and BET. The results show that the yield of reduction reaction of NB to AN in 140°C and hydrogen pressure of 12 bar was 99.5% with 100% selectivity of aniline. Also the NiO/MWCNTs have more catalytic activity than NiO/AC in nitrobenzene hydrogenation.

Keywords:

• hydrogenation
• carbon nanotubes
• CNTs
• nickel
• nanocatalyst

Funding

The authors thank the Razi University Research Council and Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) for financial support of this work.