Hydrogen–Water Deuterium Exchange Over Metal Oxide Promoted Nickel Catalysts

Specific rates have been measured for hydrogen–water deuterium isotope exchange over unsupported nickel promoted with about 20% of various metal oxides. The oxides used were Cr2O3, MoO2, MnO, WO2−WO3, and UO2. Nickel surface areas, which are required to measure the specific rates, were determined by hydrogen chemisorption. Specific rates were measured as a function of temperature in the range 353 to 573 K and as a function of the partial pressure of hydrogen and water over a 10-fold range of partial pressure.The molybdenum and tungsten oxides gave the highest specific rates, and manganese and uranium oxides the lowest. Chromium oxide was intermediate, although it gave the highest rate per gram of catalyst. The orders with respect to hydrogen and water over molybdenum oxide and tungsten oxide promoted nickel were consistent with a mechanism in which nickel oxide is formed from the reaction of water with the catalyst, and then is reduced by hydrogen. Over manganese and uranium oxide promoted catalysts, these orders are consistent with a mechanism in which adsorbed water exchanges with chemisorbed hydrogen atoms on the nickel surface. Chromium oxide is intermediate. It was noted that those oxides which favored the nickel oxide route had electronic work functions closest to those of metallic nickel and nickel oxide.