Hierarchical Flower-Like NiCu/SiO₂ Bimetallic Catalysts with Enhanced Catalytic Activity and Stability for Petroleum Resin Hydrogenation

Abstract

The catalytic hydrogenation of petroleum resin (PR) is an efficient process to produce high-value-added hydrogenated PR with improved performance and wide applications. Herein, a hierarchical flower-like NiCu/SiO2 bimetallic catalyst has been successfully prepared by reducing the hierarchically structured NiCu silicate precursor ((Ni,Cu)3Si2O5(OH)4) and applied for PR hydrogenation. The generated bimetallic NiCu alloy nanoparticles are anchored on the surface of the intercrossed silica nanoplatelets, constructing a unique multilevel NiCu/SiO2 superstructure. Moreover, the addition of Cu could not only lower the reduction temperature of Ni species but also provide electrons to Ni to form electron-rich active sites. The NiCu/SiO2 bimetallic catalyst exhibited enhanced catalytic activity and stability for PR hydrogenation. The hydrogenation degrees for C5PR and C9PR could reach up to 94.9 and 96.3%, respectively, which are much higher than those catalyzed by the catalyst prepared via an impregnation method (85.9 and 88.7%). Such notably enhanced performances could be ascribed to the synergistic effect between Ni–Cu bimetals and the highly porous superstructure. Our findings provide guidance for the design and synthesis of efficient and stable bimetallic nanocatalysts for PR hydrogenation.