Hydrogenation activity of benzenes on nickel catalysts supported on porous glass prepared from borosilicate glass with small amounts of metal oxides

The surface area and micropore distribution of the porous glass prepared from borosilicate glass were controlled by the addition of metal oxides. When alumina or zirconia was added to the borosilicate glass, the micropore size distribution was very sharp and the maximum of the distribution was located at 1–2 nm. The addition of manganese oxide or antimonial oxide did not produce a sharp micropore distribution in the porous glass. When the hydrogenation of benzenes, substituted with a different number of methyl groups, was carried out over nickel catalysts supported on the porous glass prepared from the borosilicate glass with zirconia, the hydrogenation rate decreased according to the number of methyl groups and the position of the groups. These results indicate that a shape-selective nickel catalyst can be prepared from the porous glass synthesized from the borosilicate glass with a small amount of metal oxide.