PEG‐400 Assisted Preparation of High‐Loading Highly Dispersed Ni/AC Catalyst and Its Hydrogenation Performance for DNT

Abstract A PEG‐400‐assisted impregnation‐precipitation method synthesized 50 wt% Ni/AC catalysts for dinitrotoluene (DNT) hydrogenation. Optimal PEG‐400 dosage (0.4 g) suppressed Ni agglomeration via steric hindrance, yielding uniform 10.9‐nm Ni nanoparticles and mesopores (12.24 nm). This enhanced dispersion and mass transfer, achieving complete DNT conversion in 5 min under mild conditions (120 °C, 2.1 MPa H 2 ) with 99.99% TDA selectivity and zero tar. The catalyst retained > 95.5% conversion and > 97.3% selectivity over 10 cycles, demonstrating exceptional stability. PEG's dual role in structural control and pore engineering effectively addresses the dispersion challenges inherent to high‐loading catalysts.