Solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis of Ni-Al mixed oxides from nickel carbonate: Tailoring Al content for enhanced oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene
Meng Q. Sun M. Wang Y. Li D. Dong Y. Kong L. Yang Y. Kang W. Aidarova S.B. Zhao Z.
15 April 2026Elsevier B.V.
Molecular Catalysis
2026#595
The oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODHE) to ethylene represents a promising alternative to energy-intensive steam cracking, but its practical application is still limited by the lack of cost-effective catalysts with balanced ethane conversion and ethylene selectivity. In this work, a green, solvent-free mechanochemical approach was employed to prepare Ni-Al mixed oxides with controllable Al contents using nickel carbonate as the Ni precursor. The Ni-Al0.5-O catalyst (Ni:Al molar ratio = 1:0.5) exhibits favourable catalytic performance, with ethylene selectivity of 63.8% and ethylene yield of 37.2% at 325 °C. The improved catalytic behaviour is associated with two major contributions: the appropriate distribution of lattice oxygen and surface-active oxygen species, which suppresses the over-oxidation of ethylene while retaining the ability to activate C–H bonds; and the enhanced Ni–Al interaction induced by Al3+ incorporation into the NiO lattice, which promotes oxygen mobility. In-situ Raman and post-reaction characterizations reveal the good stability and anti-coking property of the catalyst. In addition, 18O2-labeled TPSR results support the Mars-van Krevelen redox mechanism. This work provides a green synthetic strategy for the preparation of Ni-based oxide catalysts, and contributes to the understanding of the composition–structure–performance relationship in ODHE. Copyright
Mechanochemical synthesis , Ni-Al mixed oxide , Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane , Structure-activity relationship
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Kazakh-British Technical University, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
Institute of Catalysis for Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, 110034, China
State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China
Kazakh-British Technical University
Institute of Catalysis for Energy and Environment
State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026