Catalytic Reduction of Benzaldehyde Under Hydrogen Flow over Nickel-Containing Mesoporous Silica Catalysts

The hydrogenation of benzaldehyde over a series of nickel-containing mesoporous silicas with different nickel contents was studied at atmospheric pressure in the range temperature of 393 - 513 K under H2 ?ow. These materials (noted Nin-HMS with n = Si/Ni = 50, 25, 15) have been prepared at room temperature using a route based on hydrogen bonding and self-assembly between neutral primary amine micelles (S0) and neutral inorganic precursors (I0). They were characterized by their chemical analysis, BET surface area, XRD, FT-IR, and SEM microscopy. The obtained products were benzylalcohol, toluene, benzene with yields depending on the nickel content (Si/Ni ratio) and reaction temperature. The products of benzaldehyde hydrogenation (benzylalcohol, and toluene) and hydrogenolysis (benzene) were preferentially formed at low/middle and high reaction temperature respectively. The mesoporous Ni-containing materials were very active hydrogenation catalysts with almost 90% selectivity to benzylalcohol product and showed excellent stability. A mechanism in which the reaction could be initiated by a benzaldehyde reduction over Nin-HMS materials under hydrogen flow with formation of reaction products is proposed.