The promoted catalytic hydrogenation performance of bimetallic Ni-Co-B noncrystalline alloy nanotubes

A noncrystalline Ni-B alloy in the shape of nanotubes has demonstrated its superior catalytic performance for some hydrogenation reactions. Remarkable synergistic effects have been observed in many reactions when bimetallic catalysts were used; however, bimetallic noncrystalline alloy nanotubes are far less investigated. Here, we report a simple acetone-assisted lamellar liquid crystal approach for synthesizing a series of bimetallic Ni-Co-B nanotubes and investigate their catalytic performances. The dilution effect of acetone on liquid crystals was characterized by small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Ni/Co molar ratio of the catalyst was varied to study the composition, porous structure, electronic interaction, and catalytic efficiency. In the liquid-phase hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene, the as-prepared noncrystalline alloy Ni-Co-B nanotubes exhibited higher catalytic activity and increased stability as compared to Ni-B and Co-B alloy nanotubes due to electronic interactions between the nickel and cobalt. The excellent hydrogenation performance of the Ni-Co-B nanotubes was attributed to their high specific surface area and the characteristic confinement effects, compared with Ni-Co-B nanoparticles.