Facile Fabrication of Nanosized Nickel Powder via Solid-State Reaction at Low Heat and its Catalytic Performance
Nano-Nickel (Ni0) powders have been successfully prepared via the reduction of nanosized NiO powders by the solid state reaction. And the nanosized NiO powders were derived from low temperature (350°C) calcinations in muffle in air of nanosized Ni(OH)2 powders firstly prepared by the room temperature solid state reaction between NiSO4•6H2O and NaOH by H2 at 400°C for 4 h. The crystallinity, microstructure of surface and xps property of obtained nickel powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Furthermore, the catalytic activity of the obtained nanosized Ni powders for hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline was investigated. The results show that the spherical Ni parepared in particle sizes ranges from 20 to 25 nm and achieves enhanced catalytic activity for hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline compared with Raney Ni.