Nickel-alumina composite aerogel catalysts with a high nickel load: a novel fast sol-gel synthesis procedure and screening of catalytic properties

Nickel-alumina composite aerogels with large nickel loading were synthesized using a novel complexing agent-assisted sol-gel procedure to obtain materials displaying very large and open internal surface area, easily accessible for large molecules and demonstrating excellent catalytic properties. They were tested in the following reactions: (i) hydrogenation of propene and 1-butene, (ii) methanization of carbon dioxide, (iii) isometization of 1-butene, (iv) dehydrogenation of cyclohexane, (v) conversion of equimolar mixture of CO and NO to CO₂ and N₂. Full conversions and 100% selectivities were obtained in reactions (i), (ii), (iv) and (v) and an equilibrium composition in reaction (iii). These catalysts showed no pyrophoric activity on exposing to air even at Ni content as large as 50 wt%.