Expanded Two-Dimensional Layered Vermiculite Supported Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles Provides High Activity for Acetylene Carbonylation to Synthesize Acrylic Acid

When acrylic acid (AA) is synthesized from acetylene carbonylation using supported nickel as a heterogeneous catalyst, it is important to select a suitable carrier material. Accordingly, we prepared a series of nickel-loaded catalysts using treated expanded two-dimensional layered vermiculite (2D-VT), NaY, HY, MCM-41, and talcum powder (TP) as carriers. As a result, it was found that the calcined nickel-supported expanded NiO/2D-VT exhibited excellent catalytic performance as a catalyst. The highest yield (83.1%) was obtained. We used XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, FTIR, TGA, ICP and XPS to thoroughly characterize the catalysts. It was found that the two-dimensional layered structure of vermiculite (VT) itself with a hydroxyl structure provides a loading site for the active metal NiO, which promotes the formation of a hydrogen carboxyl group. And the excellent thermal stability of VT inhibits the formation of carbon deposits in the NiO/2D-VT catalyst during the reaction. Compared with other catalysts, the NiO/2D-VT catalyst has significantly less carbon deposits, more cycles are used, and activity decreases more slowly. In addition, we also studied the reasons for the decrease in the activity of the NiO/2D-VT catalyst used repeatedly, and found that the loss of NiO supported on the VT two-dimensional layered structure is the main reason for the catalyst deactivation. Graphic Abstract