Revealing the Influence of Silver in Ni–Ag Catalysts on the Selectivity of Higher Olefin Synthesis from Stearic Acid

Abstract

Results on the conversion of stearic acid to olefins over Ni–Ag/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts are presented. XANES and EXAFS experiments in situ and DFT calculations were applied to reveal the structure of active sites therein. It is shown that the introduction of Ag to Ni catalysts leads to an increase in the olefin yield. After a reduction in hydrogen (350°C, 3 h) alumina-supported nanoparticles of nickel sulfides and metallic Ag are formed. The role of metal hydrides formed during the reaction is extensively discussed.