G. Wrobel et al., HYDROGENATION CATALYSTS BASED ON NICKEL AND RARE-EARTH-OXIDES .2. XRD, ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY AND XPS STUDIES OF THE CERIUM NICKEL OXYGEN HYDROGEN SYSTEM, Applied catalysis. A, General, 101(1), 1993, pp. 73-93
In a previous article we selected a preparation process of cerium and
nickel oxides which permits catalysts to be obtained which contain as
much hydrogen as the intermetallic compounds with the same composition
, and which are more active in benzene hydrogenation. Moreover the cat
alysts' behaviour varies with the Ni/Ce ratio (x) and at least two zon
es can be distinguished. In the present paper we have found correlatio
ns between catalytic activity, hydrogen content and some physical and
chemical characteristics of the solids, both in the oxidized and reduc
ed states. The techniques used were electron microscopy (TEM, SEM, EPM
A), X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Whatever t
he method, the catalysts are classified into two families. For x less-
than-or-equal-to 0.5 nickel is inserted in the ceria lattice to form a
solid solution. Above 0.5, both crystallized nickel oxide and solid s
olution coexist. In the reduced state anionic vacancies able to receiv
e hydrogen, probably in an hydridic form, are created in the bulk and
at the surface of the solid solution. The catalytic results can then b
e explained by assuming the existence of three kinds of active sites w
hich differ from each other in terms of the environment of nickel, and
an explanation for the higher efficiency of the catalyst with x = 5 i
s advanced. Finally the situation is shown to be almost identical in c
eria-supported nickel catalysts.