A novel Ni-Co alloy catalyst derived from spinel

In this work, five Ni-Co alloy catalysts (NiCo2-N, NiCo2-200, NiCo2-350, NiCo2-500, NiCo2-700) were prepared by the reduction of precursors, which came from different calcination temperatures. The catalyst characterization suggested that all these catalysts had different alloy structures. No calcination or calcination temperatures lower than 200 °C would generate Ni-Co alloy prone to collapse. However, catalysts would possess solid structures when these precursors were calcinated at 350, 500, or 700 °C. Moreover, the calcination temperature significantly affected the surface Ni/Co compositions on these catalysts and the H2 adsorption and activation capabilities of these Ni-Co alloy catalysts. Finally, when using benzene hydrogenation as a probe reaction, the catalyst activities were evaluated, and it’s observed that NiCo2-350 catalyst, not only having a uniform Ni-Co alloy structure but pore structure on the surface of spherical particles, demonstrated the highest activity for benzene hydrogenation.