Synthesis of bimetallic CuxNiy nanoparticles for selective hydrogenation of 1-nitroanthraquinone with gaseous H2 to 1-aminoanthraquinone

Abstract

Bimetallic CuxNiy nanoparticles were prepared by the liquid chemical reduction method starting from nickel acetate and copper nitrate with the use of hydrazine hydrate as the reductant under mild reaction temperature. The sizes of metallic Cu0 and Ni0 nanoparticles in the bimetallic CuxNiy samples were smaller than those of the monometallic Cu0 and Ni0 nanoparticles, which could be attributed to the interactions between metallic Cu0 and metallic Ni0 nanoparticles. When the hydrogenation of 1-nitroanthraquinone with gaseous H2 was catalyzed by the bimetallic Cu0.25Ni0.75 nanoparticles at 120 °C for 4 h, the 1-aminoanthraquinone selectivity of 98.7% was obtained at the 1-nitroanthraquinone conversion of 99.7%. The dispersion of metallic Ni0 nanoparticles and the interaction between metallic Ni0 and Cu0 probably play important roles in the catalytic hydrogenation reaction.