Premium
Intermetallic Compounds as Potential Alternatives to Noble Metals in Heterogeneous Catalysis: The Partial Hydrogenation of Butadiene on γ‐Al 4 Cu 9 (1 1 0)
Author(s) -
Piccolo Laurent,
Kibis Lidiya,
De Weerd MarieCécile,
Gaudry Emilie,
Ledieu Julian,
Fournée Vincent
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201601587
Subject(s) - intermetallic , catalysis , auger electron spectroscopy , materials science , noble metal , copper , 1,3 butadiene , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , alloy , metallurgy , organic chemistry , physics , nuclear physics
Recently, non‐noble intermetallic compounds have shown promising catalytic performances in the partial hydrogenation of alkynes and alkenes. In this work, the properties of γ‐Al 4 Cu 9 (1 1 0) toward the gas‐phase hydrogenation of butadiene were investigated at total pressures of 2–20 mbar and temperatures of 110–180 °C. The model catalyst is active and 100 % selective to butenes. Moreover, although less active than Al 13 Fe 4 (0 1 0), which was evaluated previously for the same reaction, it is more selective and more stable. The combination of catalytic tests with pre‐ and postreaction Auger electron spectroscopy measurements and comparative tests with Cu(1 1 0) shows that Cu governs the reaction on γ‐Al 4 Cu 9 (1 1 0). However, the lower activity of the (more Cu‐rich) sputtered Al 4 Cu 9 surface with respect to the annealed one and the differences between Al 4 Cu 9 and Cu surfaces in terms of butene isomer distribution, butene conversion kinetics, and sensitivity to poisons, demonstrate the unique character of the intermetallic compound.