Selective hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene over bimetallic Au-Ni/TiO2 catalysts prepared by deposition-precipitation with urea

Abstract Bimetallic Au-Ni supported on TiO2 were prepared using co-deposition-precipitation with urea and tested on the selective hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene. The catalyst containing the lower amount of Ni (atomic Au:Ni 1:0.08) showed a satisfying compromise between activity provided by Ni and selectivity to butenes provided by Au for this selective hydrogenation reaction. Even though Au and Ni exhibit limited miscibility in the bulk, characterizations by TPR and UV–vis spectroscopy showed evidence of interaction between Au and Ni in nanoparticles. STEM-XEDS study confirmed the formation of bimetallic nanoparticles.