Supported ionic liquid phase rhodium nanoparticle hydrogenation catalysts.
Rh(0) nanoparticles (ca. 4 nm) dispersed in an ionic liquid (1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) were immobilized within a silica network, prepared by the sol-gel method. The effect of the sol-gel catalyst (acid or base) on the encapsulated ionic liquid and Rh(0) content, on the silica morphology and texture, and on the catalyst alkene hydrogenation activity was investigated. The Rh(0) content in the resulting xerogels (ca. 0.1 wt% Rh/SiO(2)) was shown to be independent of the sol-gel process. However, acidic conditions afforded higher contents of encapsulated ionic liquid and xerogels with larger pore diameters, which in turn might be responsible for the higher catalyst activity in hydrogenation of the alkenes.
Gelesky
Marcos A
MA
Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis, Institute of Chemistry-UFRGS, P.O.Box 15003, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Chiaro
Sandra S X
SS
Pavan
Flávio A
FA
dos Santos
João H Z
JH
Dupont
Jairton
J