Supported Ultrafine NiCo Bimetallic Alloy Nanoparticles
Derived from Bimetal–Organic Frameworks: A Highly Active Catalyst
for Furfuryl Alcohol Hydrogenation
Highly dispersed
NiCo bimetallic alloy nanoparticles have been
successfully immobilized on the SiO<sub>2</sub> frameworks by using
heteronuclear metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as metal alloy
precursors. Catalyst characterizations revealed that the average size
of NiCo alloy particles was less than 1 nm, with a total metal loading
of about 20 wt %. As compared to individual Ni or Co MOF-derived catalysts
and the catalysts prepared by the conventional impregnation method,
the ultrafine NiCo/SiO<sub>2</sub>-MOF catalyst showed a much better
catalytic performance in the catalytic hydrogenation of furfuryl alcohol
(FA) to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) under mild conditions, giving
99.8% conversion of FA and 99.1% selectivity to THFA. It was found
that a significant synergistic effect existed between Co and Ni within
the subnanometer NiCo/SiO<sub>2</sub>-MOF catalyst, which was 2 and
20 times more active than Ni/SiO<sub>2</sub>-MOF and Co/SiO<sub>2</sub>-MOF, respectively
