NiAg catalysts prepared by reduction of Ni2+ ions in aqueous hydrazine II. Support effect.

A series of bimetallic NiAg (Ni + Ag = 1% wt) catalysts supported on amorphous silica was synthesized via chemical reduction using hydrazine as the reducing agent at 353 K. Catalysts were prepared via impregnation or precipitation technique. It was found that the reduction of the Ni(2+) ions occurred only in the presence of silver, otherwise a stable blue [Ni(N(2)H(4))(3)](2+) complex was formed. Comparisons with similar NiAg catalysts supported on crystallized silica as prepared in our previous work indicated that the Ni(2+) ions weakly interacted with acidic crystallized silica on which they were readily reduced. For both supports, the combination of silver and nickel gave rise to a synergistic effect due to the existence of NiAg groupings. The surface and catalytic properties of the metal particles formed depended on the Ni:Ag ratio, method of preparation, and acidity of the support.

Study of Ni-Ag/SiO2 catalysts prepared by reduction in aqueous hydrazine.

We have studied bimetallic Ni-Ag (Ni + Ag = 1 wt%) catalysts supported on crystallized silica and prepared by aqueous chemical reduction with hydrazine at 353 K. Two protocols of reduction were used. Prepared catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, TEM, STEM, H2 chemisorption and H2-TPD. Their catalytic activity was studied in the gas-phase hydrogenation of benzene. The most important feature of the results obtained is the synergistic effect between Ni and Ag which led to improvement of dispersion and reactivity of nickel in the presence silver for precipitated catalysts. Silver is inactive in the test-reaction. Precipitated bimetallic catalysts give rise to total conversion from 373 K, a temperature at which conversion hardly reaches 30% for the impregnated catalysts. Dispersion and activity pass through a maximum of monotonically decrease with precipitated and impregnated catalysts, respectively. Deactivation was observed for bimetallic catalysts, particularly with precipitated samples. These results could be explained by the mechanism of metal reduction in the hydrazine media. As a result, various Ni-Ag species formed where Ni and Ag phases were separated clusters or interacted as heteroatomic groupings on the carrier surface. These grouping would be responsible of the high performances of the precipitated catalysts.

Study of nickel nanoparticles supported on activated carbon prepared by aqueous hydrazine reduction.

Nickel nanoparticles were obtained by the reduction in hydrazine aqueous media of nickel acetate as a precursor supported on activated carbon of high surface area. Classical catalysts using nickel acetate or nitrate were prepared for comparison. The catalysts were characterized by N(2) physisorption, H(2)-TPR, H(2)-adsorption, TPD, TEM, and XRD, and tested in the gas phase hydrogenation of benzene. Hydrazine catalysts were found much more active in benzene hydrogenation than corresponding classically prepared catalysts. Remarkably, their reactivity is comparable (turn-over frequency of 0.2001-0.2539 s(-1) at 393 K) to that of Pt classical catalysts supported on activated carbon in the same conditions. Evidence is given for the existence of the hydrogen spillover effect in benzene hydrogenation, not reported before in the literature. As a result of the hydrogen spillover effect, catalysts performances can be explained by a combination of surface metal atom reactivity, metal-support interaction strength, and specific surface area extent. Maximum effect is observed with hydrazine preparation method, for 1% Ni content and nickel acetate as a precursor. Unexpectedly, it was also found that hydrazine preparation increases the specific area of the catalysts.

Effect of antigen site and complement receptor status on the rate of cleavage of C3c antigen from red cell bound C3b.

C3b was bound to human red cells when serum complement was activated by addition of antibodies directed against different red cell antigens, and the rate of cleavage to C3dg was determined by assay for loss of bound C3c antigens using radiolabeled monoclonal anti-C3c. When C3b was bound by antibodies to antigens on branched-chain glycoproteins, cleavage to C3dg occurred more rapidly than when C3b was bound by antibodies to antigens closer to the red cell lipid bilayer. The rate of cleavage to C3dg also correlated directly with the number of complement receptors (CR1) per red cell, reflecting their role as cofactors in the cleavage of iC3b by factor I. Thus, the life span of C3b/iC3b on human red cells, which may be important for determining the rate and mechanism of clearance of C3-coated red cells, appears to depend on the CR1 status of the red cells and the characteristics of the antigen sites around which complement is bound.