Sulfolene Hydrogenation over an Amorphous Ni-B Alloy Catalyst on MgO

The catalytic hydrogenations of sulfolene to sulfolane over different supported amorphous Ni-B alloy catalysts and Raney nickel catalysts were performed in a batch reactor under pressurized conditions. The deposition of amorphous Ni-B particles (average Ni-B particle size = 40.5 nm) on MgO was carried out by a silver-catalyzed electroless plating technique. The influence of significant variables, such as the plating temperature and content of potassium borohydride, was investigated in the preparation. The silver and Ni-B loadings in the catalyst were varied as well. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2 physisorption. The load of nickel on MgO increases with the plating temperature, use of potassium borohydride, and loading of silver. The best Ni-B/MgO catalyst showed a remarkably superior catalytic activity to that of the Ni-B/TiO2 or Raney nickel catalyst, and the difference is ascribed to the nature of amorphous structure and the characteristics of amorphous Ni-B particles on MgO.