Single-factor analysis of Ni–B–AC-catalyzed β-pinene hydrogenation based on hierarchical analysis

In the choice of catalysts for the hydrogenation of pinene, nickel-based catalysts show intriguing activity. Here, a Ni-B catalyst supported on activated carbon with Ni as an active component was synthesized by the titration reduction co-impregnation method. The mechanism of such heterogeneous systems has not yet been articulated, and the industrial applications of the potassium borohydride reduction of nickel-based catalysts are limited by their easy agglomeration and poor stability. The materials were analyzed by hierarchical and DFT studies, in situ XPS, BET, XRD, and SEM, which provided insights into the kind of signals in Ni2+ reduction to Ni0. The hierarchical analysis indicated that Ni/AC (0.4876) and reaction pressure (0.6066) influenced the catalyst preparation and process efficiency changes, respectively. Activated carbon was shown to provide a favorable basis for the stability of the Ni-B activity. In addition, the hierarchical analysis method provides new insights into the data analysis for chemical experiments.