Hydrogenation of 1,3-Butadiene over Nickel-Containing Carbon Xerogels

In this work, a series of nickel-containing samples of carbon xerogels (Ni@CX) were synthesized by introducing nickel acetate into a solution of precursors (resorcinol and formaldehyde), joint polycondensation, and subsequent pyrolysis in an atmosphere of argon. The samples were tested in the selective hydrogenation reaction of 1,3-butadiene. It was shown that catalysts prepared without the addition of complexing agents contained nickel nanoparticles (4–7 nm) stabilized in a carbon matrix. The Ni@CX catalyst made it possible to achieve a selectivity of 93% for butenes at a conversion of 94% and a temperature of 200°C, while the selectivity for the formation of butenes in the presence of an impregnated reference sample was lower than 1%, although it provided a conversion of 100% already at 75°C. It was supposed that the selectivity of catalysts prepared by the joint synthesis increased due to the blockage of nonselective catalytic sites by carbon of the support.