A Novel Carbon Nanotube-Supported NiP Amorphous Alloy Catalyst and Its Hydrogenation Activity

A carbon nanotube-supported NiP amorphous catalyst (NiP/CNT) was prepared by induced reduction. Benzene hydrogenation was used as a probe reaction for the study of catalytic activity. The effects of the support on the activity and thermal stability of the supported catalyst were discussed based on various characterizations, including XRD, TEM, ICP, XPS, H2-TPD, and DTA. In comparison with the NiP amorphous alloy, the benzene conversion on NiP/CNT catalyst was lower, but the specific activity of NiP/CNT was higher, which is attributed to the dispersion produced by the support, an electron-donating effect, and the hydrogen-storage ability of CNT. The NiP/CNT thermal stability was improved because of the dispersion and electronic effects and the good heat-conduction ability of the CNT support.