Nickel–Ruthenium Bimetallic Species on Hydrotalcite Support: A Potential Hydrogenation Catalyst

Nickel–ruthenium loaded on magnesium–aluminium hydrotalcite materials were prepared by a post-synthetic method. The textural and physicochemical properties of the materials were systematically characterised by Fourier transform infra-red (FT–IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), nitrogen sorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The uniform distribution of bimetallic Ni-Ru on hydrotalcite support was evident from the powder XRD and HRTEM analysis of the used catalysts. The hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction profile reveals strong adsorption of hydrogen on the surface of the catalysts. The resultant materials show promising catalytic activity for nitrobenzene reduction under ambient reaction conditions. The formation of metallic nickel and ruthenium on the surface of hydrotalcite under the reaction conditions was evident through powder XRD analysis of the sample obtained under reaction condition. The reaction showed first order kinetics with respect to nitrobenzene. Furthermore, the catalytic activity remained intact for several cycles, and the catalysts also showed promising activity for the reduction of several substituted nitroarene molecules.