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Differentiation of Ni3C crystalline phase from hexagonal-close-packed Ni phase in ethylene glycol-mediated sol–gel process and excellent catalytic behavior of Ni/N-doped C nanomaterials toward hydrogenation reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol

  • Original Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials for catalytic, photoelectrochemical and sensor applications
  • Published:
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Abstract

The ethylene glycol (EG)-mediated sol–gel method was applied to prepare Ni nanoparticles (NPs) where heating treatments of the dried precursors were performed in N2 protecting atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was conducted to determine the crystalline phases of the calcinated products. The diffraction peaks of the products being calcinated at 350 °C shifted to lower angles when the initial molar ratio of Ni2+:EG was decreased in the absence of urea, indicating that the crystalline phase of the product calcinated at 350 °C was Ni3C rather than hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) Ni. The Ni3C particles displayed a weak ferromagnetic character at room temperature and the Ni3C phase transformed to face-centered-cubic (fcc) nickel when the heating treatments were performed at 450 °C and higher temperatures. By using urea as an N source, the fcc Ni/N-doped carbon materials could be obtained in the range of 350–600 °C, and the as-prepared fcc Ni/N-doped carbon materials could be used as a catalyst toward the hydrogenation reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol and an activity parameter of 74.56 s−1 g−1 was obtained. Our results provide a new insight into the differentiation of Ni3C and hcp Ni, and the catalytic behavior of Ni NPs.

Nickel/N-doped carbon nanomaterials being calcinated at 350–600 °C by using ethylene glycol mediated sol–gel process have excellent catalytic properties toward hydrogenation reaction of 4-nitrophenol.

Highlights

  • Nickel nanoparticles could be prepared by the ethylene glycol (EG)-mediated sol–gel method.

  • Ni3C rather than the hexagonal-close-packed Ni phase was confirmed in products being calcined at 350 °C.

  • As-prepared nanomaterial could be used as a catalyst for hydrogenation reaction of 4-nitrophenol.

  • Excellent catalytic behavior of Ni/N-doped carbon material occurs by using urea as N source.

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Acknowledgements

This work was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Fund (51201090), Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Special Superfine Powder Engineering Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, 210094, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Jinling Wang, Shengxiang Jiang & Pingyun Li

  2. Institute of Materials Engineering, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Hua Ren

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  1. Jinling Wang
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Correspondence to Pingyun Li.

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Wang, J., Jiang, S., Li, P. et al. Differentiation of Ni3C crystalline phase from hexagonal-close-packed Ni phase in ethylene glycol-mediated sol–gel process and excellent catalytic behavior of Ni/N-doped C nanomaterials toward hydrogenation reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 93, 341–353 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-019-05104-1

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