Nickel nanoparticles supported on MOF-5: Synthesis and catalytic hydrogenation properties

Nickel nanoparticles (2–6 nm) were successfully deposited on MOF-5 (Zn4O(BDC)3, BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) by a facile wet impregnation strategy to prepare Ni@MOF-5 employing Ni(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) as the precursor in absolute ethanol solvent owing to the sensitivity to the moisture of MOF-5. Ni@MOF-5 exhibited excellent catalytic activity for hydrogenation of C = C bond using crotonaldehyde as a probe molecule under mild reaction conditions (conversion > 90.0%, selectivity > 98.0%, 2.0 MPa, 100 °C, 40 min). In addition, the catalyst could be reused and the structure of MOF-5 framework was still maintained. Therefore, MOF-5 promised a novel candidate of support for hydrogenation catalyst.