Jp. Jacobs et al., THE GROWTH-MECHANISM OF NICKEL IN THE PREPARATION OF NI AL2O3 CATALYSTS STUDIED BY LEIS, XPS AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY/, Catalysis letters, 25(3-4), 1994, pp. 315-324
A series of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts prepared from vapor phase by the atomic
layer epitaxy (ALE) technique have been studied, A model is proposed
for the growth mechanism of nickel in its oxidic form on alumina, from
sequences of treatments with Ni(acac)2 and air. In the study activity
measurements were combined with surface analysis by LEIS and XPS. Dur
ing the first preparation sequence (< 5 wt%Ni) atomically dispersed ni
ckel is obtained on the alumina support. The nickel atoms are catalyti
cally inactive, but act as nuclei for the growth of the catalytically
active Ni-species during the subsequent preparation sequences. The hig
hest utilization of nickel atoms in the hydrogenation of toluene was o
btained when the nickel nuclei were covered with one layer of active n
ickel species.