Faculty

Description

• PhD- The main objective of the work is to identify which properties of the precursor will influence the final structure and performance of the catalyst. We selected diaquabis(ethylenediamine)nickel(II) complexes with varying counter ions as the precursor salts. The chelating nature of the precursors, the viscosity of the impregnating solutions and the decomposition of the complexes in presence of the counter ions are the important properties which affects the structure and reactivity of the supported catalysts, when such precursors are used. The properties of nickel oxide derived from the complexes were studied in detail. One of the precursor bis(ethylenediamine)nickel(II)nitrate yielded phase pure nano nickel on decomposition. Reduction kinetics of the nickel oxides were studied in detail using nonisothermal TG-DTG methods. The impregnation studies on g-Al₂O₃ pellets revealed that nearly uniform distribution of active sites was achieved with the ethylenediamine complexes with acetate counter ions due to the high viscosity and low deposition rate of the impregnating solutions. The precursors were used to prepare supported nickel catalysts on a-Al₂O₃, g-Al₂O₃ and MgO. The surface area and reduction properties of bare NiO and supported NiO depended on the precursor salts. The nickel aluminate formation and NiO-MgO solid solution formation was minimal with the use of chelating precursors. The activities for Cyclohexanol decomposition, Benzene hydrogenation, Cyclohexane dehydrogenation and n-butanal hydrogenation were correlated with physicochemical properties of the catalysts.

• M.Tech- Thesis: “Supported Palladium Catalysts for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation: Effect of preparation parameters on Activity and Dispersion”. Pd/supported on gamma alumina prepared with anionic and cationic impregnation. Effect of ceria promoter on CO oxidation was studied

• Ponminiessary P. Robinson , Vasudevan Arun , Karukapadath K. Abdul Rashid , Chennampilly Ummer Aniz & Karukapadath K. M. Yusuff, "Ni/γ-Al2O3 Catalysts prepared by Impregnation of bis(ethylenediamine)nickel(II) complexes" (2012)   https://doi.org/10.1080 /00986445.2011.591615.
• P. Robinson, V. Arun, S. Manju, C.U. Aniz, K.K.M. Yusuff, “Oxidation kinetics of nickel nano crystallites obtained by controlled thermolysis of diaqua-bis(ethylenediamine)nickel(II) nitrate” Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, (2009) doi: 10.1007/s10973-009-0209-y
• P. Robinson, V. Arun, S. Manju, C.U. Aniz, K.K.M. Yusuff , “The active phase distribution in Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts prepared by impregnation of bis(ethylenediamine)nickel(II) complexes” (Accepted (in press), Chemical Engineering Communications)
• P. Robinson, V. Arun, S. Manju, C.U. Aniz, K.K.M. Yusuff , “Influence of the thermal decomposition of precursors on the structure of Ni/MgO catalysts” (under review, ACS Catalysis)
• Arun, N. Sridevi, P.P. Robinson, S. Manju, K.K.M. Yusuff, “Ni(II) and Ru(II) Schiff base complexes as catalysts for the reduction of benzene” J. Mol. Catal. A: Chem. 304(1-2) (2009) 191-198, doi: 10.1016/j.molcata.2009.02.011
• Arun, P.P. Robinson, S. Manju, P. Leeju, G. Varsha, V. Digna, K.K.M. Yusuff, “A novel fluorescent bisazomethine dye derived from 3- hydroxyquinoxaline-2- carboxaldehyde and 2,3-diaminomaleonitrile” Dyes and Pigments 82(3) (2009) 268-275, doi: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2009.01.010