Synthesis of Ni₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂ Porous Microspheres as Support of Pd Catalyst for Hydrogenation Reaction

Nickel phyllosilicates have attracted much attention owing to their potential applications in various fields. Herein, Ni₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂ porous microspheres (NiSi-PMs) with a diameter of 1.2 to 3.2 μm were successfully fabricated via a urea-assisted hydrothermal method, and subsequently used to prepare supported Pd catalyst. Characterizations of the NiSi-PMs and the obtained catalyst, combined with the catalytic performance for the hydrogenation reaction, are presented and discussed. The BET surface area and pore volume of the NiSi-PMs were 196.2 m² g^-1 and 0.70 cm³ g^-1, respectively. The Pd/NiSi-PMs catalyst exhibited remarkable catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of styrene under mild conditions, with a turnover frequency of 5234 h^-1, and the catalyst was recovered and recycled for six consecutive cycles without any discernible loss of activity. H₂-TPR and H₂-TPD revealed that the activity of the catalysts was closely related to the adsorption property for hydrogen. The present Ni₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂ supported Pd catalyst afforded a promising and competitive candidate for heterogeneous catalysis.