Selective Hydrogenation of Phenolic Compounds to Cyclohexanols over Nanosheet Ni@Al2O3 Catalysts

Abstract

Herein, a series of nanosheet Ni@Al2O3 catalysts were prepared using the one-pot method, which offers good catalytic activity and selectivity of the phenolic compounds in aqueous due to their unique structures with rich active sites and large specific surface areas. The effects of calcination temperature, nickel loading, reaction temperature, and H2 pressure on the catalyst’s performance were studied on the simulated phenolic wastewater. The results indicated that phenolic compounds were selectively converted to the corresponding cyclohexanols regardless of the conversion by the 20%Ni@Al2O3-500 catalyst under mild conditions. Based on the procedure, cyclohexanol and water separation were simulated with the Aspen Plus model. This work provides an alternative scheme for treating phenolic wastewater.