Sol-gel-prepared ni-mo-mg-o system for catalytic transformation of chlorinated organic wastes into nanostructured carbon

The present work aimed to prepare Ni-Mo particles distributed within the MgO matrix. With this purpose in mind, a ternary Ni-Mo-Mg oxide system was synthesized by a sol-gel approach. The samples were studied by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction analysis, and transmission electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Both the nickel and molybdenum species in the prepared samples were characterized by a fine and uniform distribution. The diffraction pattern of the ternary system was predominantly represented by the MgO reflections. The catalytic activity of the samples was tested in the decomposition of 1,2-dichloroethane used as a representative of the chlorinated organic wastes. The nanostructured carbon filaments resulting from the decomposition of the halogenated substrate were found to be characterized by a narrow diameter distribution, according to the transmission electron microscopy data, thus confirming the fine distribution of the active Ni-Mo particles. The results obviously show the advantages of the sol-gel technique for obtaining efficient catalysts.