Synthesis of Ni(3)Si(4)O(10)(OH)(2) Porous Microspheres as Support of Pd Catalyst for Hydrogenation Reaction

Nickel phyllosilicates have attracted much attention owing to their potential applications in various fields. Herein, Ni(3)Si(4)O(10)(OH)(2) porous microspheres (NiSi-PMs) with a diameter of 1.2 to 3.2 μm were successfully fabricated via a urea-assisted hydrothermal method, and subsequently used to prepare supported Pd catalyst. Characterizations of the NiSi-PMs and the obtained catalyst, combined with the catalytic performance for the hydrogenation reaction, are presented and discussed. The BET surface area and pore volume of the NiSi-PMs were 196.2 m(2) g(−1) and 0.70 cm(3) g(−1), respectively. The Pd/NiSi-PMs catalyst exhibited remarkable catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of styrene under mild conditions, with a turnover frequency of 5234 h(−1), and the catalyst was recovered and recycled for six consecutive cycles without any discernible loss of activity. H(2)-TPR and H(2)-TPD revealed that the activity of the catalysts was closely related to the adsorption property for hydrogen. The present Ni(3)Si(4)O(10)(OH)(2) supported Pd catalyst afforded a promising and competitive candidate for heterogeneous catalysis.