Ethylene polymerization and hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane mediated by nickel(II) covalently anchored to silica xerogels

Ni/SiO₂ cogelled xerogel catalysts have been prepared in ethanol containing nickel acetylacetonate, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), an aqueous ammonia solution of 0.54 mol L⁻¹ and either a commercial sylilated ligand, 3-(2-aminoethyl)aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (EDAPMS), or a home-made new silylated pyrazolypyridine ligands, respectively 2-[4-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]pyridine (MS-PzPy) and 2-[4-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-6-methylpyridine (MS-PzPyMe), able to form a chelate with a metal ion such as Ni²⁺. All samples form homogeneous and very highly dispersed Ni/SiO₂ cogelled xerogel catalysts. The resulting catalysts are composed of nickel nanoparticles with a diameter of about 2.8 nm, located inside primary silica particles exhibiting a monodisperse microporous distribution. The silylated organic ligand has a strong influence on the textural properties of cogelled xerogel catalysts, both before and after calcination and reduction steps. Changing the nature of the silylated ligand permits tailoring textural properties such as pore volume, pore size and surface area. Homogenous nickel complexes synthesized from pyrazolylpyridine derivatives are inactive for ethylene polymerization. In opposite, heterogenous nickel-based catalysts onto silica xerogel synthesized from pyrazolylpyridine derivatives bearing a tethered trialkoxysilyl group allow increasing ethylene polymerization activity. Although nickel nanoparticles are located inside the silica crystallites, their complete accessibility, via the micropore network, has been shown. For 1,2-dichloroethane hydrodechlorination over Ni/SiO₂ catalysts, the conversion of 1,2-dichloroethane is high at the temperature of 350 °C and mainly ethane is produced.