The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported amorphous CoNiBP catalyst is synthesized by means of induced electroless-plating method. The morphology, structure, and composition of the catalyst are characterized using a number of analytical instrumentations including transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, BET surface area measurement, and inductively coupled plasma. The activity of the catalyst in phosphine decomposition reaction is measured and correlated with its surface and structural properties. The characterization results show that the amorphous CoNiBP alloy nanoparticles, having average diameters of about 5−9 nm and 8−12 nm, are uniformly distributed inside and on the surface of CNTs, respectively. During phosphine decomposition reaction, some of phosphorus atoms migrate onto the CoNiBP particles, forming crystalline CoP phase which acts as the dominant active phase for phosphine decomposition reaction. Furthermore, the CoNiBP/CNTs catalyst exhibits high activity and stability in phosphine decomposition reaction. When operated in a fixed-bed reactor at 380 °C, single-pass phosphine conversion of about 99.7% can be achieved.
Effective decomposition of toxic gaseous compounds is important for pollution control at many chemical manufacturing plants. This study explores catalytic decomposition of phosphine (PH(3)) using novel metal-promoted carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The cerium-promoted Co/CNTs catalysts (CoCe/CNTs) are synthesized by means of coimpregnation method and reduced by three different methods (H(2), KBH(4), NaH(2)PO(2)·H(2)O/KBH(4)). The morphology, structure, and composition of the catalysts are characterized using a number of analytical instrumentations including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, BET surface area measurement, and inductively coupled plasma. The activity of the catalysts in PH(3) decomposition reaction is measured and correlated with their surface and structural properties. The characterization results show that the CoCe/CNTs catalyst reduced by H(2) possesses small particles and is shown thermally stable in PH(3) decomposition reaction. The activities of these catalysts are compared and are shown in the following sequence: CoCe/CNTs > Co/CNTs > CoCeBP/CNTs> CoCeB/CNTs. The difference in reduction method results in the formation of different active phases during the PH(3) decomposition reaction. After a catalytic activity test, only the CoP phase is formed on CoCe/CNTs and Co/CNTs catalysts, whereas multiphases CoP, Co(2)P, and Co phases are formed on CoCeBP/CNTs and CoCeB/CNTs. Results show that the CoP phase is formed predominantly on the CoCe/CNTs and Co/CNTs catalysts and is found to likely be the most active phase for this reaction. Furthermore, the CoCe/CNTs catalyst exhibits not only highest activity but also long-term stability in PH(3) decomposition reaction. When operated in a fixed-bed reactor at 360 °C, single-pass PH(3) conversion of about 99.8% can be achieved.
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