Interaction of hydrogen with unsupported and supported nickel

The adsorption of molecular hydrogen on Ni powder and on Ni/Al(2)O(3) and Ni/SiO(2) catalysts was studied by the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) method. The examinations were performed in the flow system, starting the TP measurements at low temperatures of 100 or 78 K, which resulted in the formation of complete characteristics of the interaction of hydrogen with nickel. Generally, three forms of chemisorbed hydrogen were distinguished: alpha, adsorbed on Ni surface, beta, adsorbed in the "second layer", and gamma, located in the subsurface region of nickel. The comparison of the results of this work with those obtained in vacuum systems for various Ni surfaces has led to the conclusion that the same form of hydrogen desorbs from nickel above 200 K in vacuum systems but above 300 K in flow systems. The examinations performed for Ni/Al(2)O(3) and Ni/SiO(2) samples show that alumina suppresses but silica enhances the formation of the beta-form of hydrogen.