Ni-based catalysts supported on nanodiamonds for phenol hydrogenation: the effect of support surface treatment on the catalytic performance

The selection and pretreatment of supports generally have a significant effect on the catalytic performance of supported catalysts, since the dispersity and chemical state of the supported metal species can be remarkably altered by the support. Here, we reported a Ni-catalyst supported on H2O2 modified nanodiamonds (NDs) which showed much improved catalytic activity and stability for the phenol hydrogenation reaction than the other two catalysts with untreated NDs and high temperature N-2 treated NDs as supports, respectively. It was found that the interaction between the ND support and nickel species was enhanced by simple H2O2 pretreatment while retaining the excellent structural stability of the ND. Under the effect of these factors, the nickel species are stabilized on the support surface with a small particle size even after high temperature treatment, accounting for the improved catalytic performance of the catalyst. This study highlights the importance of support selection and pretreatment, and provides new ideas for the design and development of supported catalysts.