Nickel-Aluminum CatalystInfo Needed

  • Thread starter P-man
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In summary, nickel-aluminum alloy is a heterogeneous catalyst that can do a variety of reactions that are not typical for reductive removal of sulfur atoms from organic compounds. It is available as a slurry in water or as a powder. It can be bought for around $60 per 100 g.
  • #1
P-man
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I've been doing more research into catalysts and fell on a nickel-aluminum alloy, mostly nickel. Does anyone know anything about these types of catalysts?
 
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  • #2
You mean like Raney Nickel? That's an Al/Ni alloy. It's often used for reductive removal of sulfur atoms from organic compounds.
 
  • #3
Hey it's me, P-man, but I just had to re-register under a new name. Anyways, That's exactly the alloy I was looking at. What do you know about it?
 
  • #4
I've used it a few times in the lab. What do you want to know?
 
  • #5
Properties, reactivity with hydrogen, and weight etc.
 
  • #6
You usually buy it as a slurry in water that is 50/50 wt% RaNi. To get the maxium activity out of it you should wash and decant with absolute ethanol a few times to remove as much water as possible. Ethanol (sometimes methanol) is the typical solvent for these reaction.

It's a competent reductant for reducing carbon sulfur bonds on it's own. It can also reduce alkenes to alkanes if you use stoichiometric amounts, but for that purpose people often use a catalytic amount of RaNi and a balloon of hydrogen gas. The reduction of alkenes is slow relative to the reduction of carbon-sulfur bonds and sometimes you can remove sulfur in the presence of alkenes.

There are some other funky reactions that RaNi will do as well. There is at least one example of enantioselective carbonyl reduction with tartaric acid as a ligand. That's a rare thing for a reagent that seems to be a heterogeneous catalyst. I'm not familiar with speculations about the mechanism of the enantioselective reaction though.

Does that help?
 
  • #7
How much is it currently?
 
  • #8
To buy? My Aldrich catalog says around $60 for 100 g. There are a couple of variants available which have somewhat different levels of reactivity, but they all cost roughly the same amount.
 
  • #9
Thanks a lot for all the help.
 

1. What is a nickel-aluminum catalyst?

A nickel-aluminum catalyst is a type of catalyst that contains both nickel and aluminum as active components. It is commonly used in industrial processes to speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy.

2. How does a nickel-aluminum catalyst work?

A nickel-aluminum catalyst works by providing a surface for the reactant molecules to bind to, making it easier for them to come into contact with each other and form products. Additionally, the presence of nickel and aluminum can help break down bonds in the reactants, making the reaction occur more quickly.

3. What are the benefits of using a nickel-aluminum catalyst?

Using a nickel-aluminum catalyst can help improve the efficiency of chemical reactions, reducing the amount of time and energy needed to produce a desired product. It can also help reduce the production of unwanted byproducts and lower the cost of production.

4. What types of reactions can a nickel-aluminum catalyst be used for?

A nickel-aluminum catalyst can be used for a wide range of reactions, including hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, isomerization, and oxidation. It is commonly used in the production of chemicals such as ammonia, plastics, and fuels.

5. Are there any safety concerns when working with a nickel-aluminum catalyst?

As with any chemical substance, there are safety concerns to consider when working with a nickel-aluminum catalyst. Nickel is considered a hazardous material and can cause skin and respiratory irritation, so proper precautions and safety measures should be taken when handling it. It is also important to properly dispose of any used catalyst to prevent environmental contamination.

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