Selective hydrogenation of 2-ethylanthraquinone over an environmentally benign NiB/SBA-15 catalyst prepared by a novel reductant–impregnation method

An environmentally benign SBA-15-supported amorphous nickel boride alloy catalyst, prepared by a novel reductant–impregnation method, exhibits superior activity, selectivity, and stability in the selective hydrogenation of 2-ethylanthraquinone (eAQ) to 2-ethylanthrahydroquinone (H2eAQ), which is the dominating process for the production of hydrogen peroxide in industrial scale. The unique characters of the amorphous alloy as well as the pore structure of the mesoporous SBA-15 molecular sieve are crucial for the excellent catalytic behavior of the title catalyst.