Preparation of nanoscale Ni-B amorphous alloys and their application in the selective hydrogenation of cinnamic acid.

A series of metal modified nanoscale Ni-B amorphous alloys was prepared by chemical reduction and tested in the selective hydrogenation of cinnamic acid. A Co modified Ni-B amorphous alloy (Ni-Co-B) exhibited excellent catalytic performance in this reaction with both 100.0% conversion of cinnamic acid and 100.0% selectivity for hydrocinnamic acid under the optimized reaction conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that the addition of Co had not changed the amorphous structure of Ni-B; whereas, its addition was believed not only to favor decreased agglomeration of the active Ni species, as proven by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), but also to contribute to adsorption of hydrogen itself. Thus, Ni-Co-B showed a larger BET surface area, smaller particle size, and greater number of active species resulting in optimum H2-chemisorption compared to Ni-B and accounting for its excellent catalytic performance in cinnamic acid hydrogenation.