Design of nickel catalysts supported on 1D TiO2/Nb2O5 nanostructures

Abstract

Catalyst design and engineering of active sites have helped the development of catalytic systems with unique properties, which can be optimized and tuned for applications in diverse catalytic reactions. A class of materials explored in heterogeneous catalysis is nanostructured metal oxides, specially those of one-dimensional morphology (1D). The physical, chemical, morphological and, consequently, the catalytic properties of TiO2 and Nb2O5 can be modeled for various catalytic reactions, however the combination of these two oxides is still poorly explored. Catalytic supports based on TiO2/Nb2O5 associate redox and acid properties and in combination with Ni, and active metal in hydrogenation reactions, can result in promising catalytic systems for different reactions. One of them is hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction for lignocellulosic biomass derivates upgrading. Thus, this project will focus on the synthesis of nickel catalysts supported on 1D TiO2/Nb2O5 nanostructures with single-phase (mixed oxide) or hierachical (core@shell). These materials will be applied in the HDO reaction of acetone, a representative molecule for ketone-containing oxygenates derived from biomass. In addition, studies at atomic scale of these materials will be crucial for understanding fundamental aspects related to structural and electronic properties, active sites and reaction mechanisms. To investigate the structure-functionality correlation, disorder, defects and the interaction between oxides and/or with Ni, the total scattering and PDF (Pair Distribution Function) analysis technique will be used. In addition to PDF, the samples will be characterized by conventional techniques as well as by in situ and operando advanced characterization techniques using synchrotron radiation. (AU)