Core-Shell Zeolite with Confined Nickel Particles as Prominent Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of Maleic Anhydride

Transformation of maleic anhydride (MA) into succinic anhydride (SA) through the development of high-performance catalysts is an appealing approach from a sustainable development perspective. Herein, a core-shell catalyst with silicate-1 supported and MCM-41 encapsulated nickel was prepared, which exhibited extraordinarily high MA conversion (99.8 %) and SA selectivity (99.9 %). Detailed structural characterizations and catalytic evaluation demonstrated that the core-shell catalyst derived from the liquid deposition method is a hierarchically porous material with tunable shell thicknesses, possessing strong interaction between Ni particles and the supports. Key to this success is the MCM-41 shell that covered the defects such as silanol nests on the surface of the silicate-1 zeolite, diminishing both the surface and intra-particle diffusion barriers, thus the specially-designed catalyst achieved high activity under rather mild conditions (100 degrees C, 3.0 MPa), which is 59 % higher than the conventional silicate-1 supported Ni catalyst. Furthermore, the mesoporous MCM-41 shell plays a crucial role in minimizing the leaching and sintering of Ni particles, thereby bolstering catalytic stability. Overall, the research provides a new approach for the rational design to optimize the performance of hydrogenation catalysts and introduces a novel idea to enhance the activity and stability of Ni-supported catalysts. The core-shell catalyst derived from the modified St & ouml;ber route is a hierarchically porous material with tunable shell thicknesses, not only promotes diffusion ability and activity in the hydrogenation of maleic anhydride by reducing surface barriers and intra-particle hindrances but also prevents the leaching of metals and decelerates deactivation. image