Bimetallic Single‑Atom Catalysts for Water Splitting

Green hydrogen from water splitting has emerged as a critical energy vector with the potential to spearhead the global transition to a fossil fuel-independent society.The field of catalysis has been revolutionized by single-atom catalysts(SACs),which exhibit unique and intricate interactions between atomically dispersed metal atoms and their supports.Recently,bimetallic SACs(bimSACs)have garnered significant attention for leveraging the synergistic functions of two metal ions coordinated on appropriately designed supports.BimSACs offer an avenue for rich metal–metal and metal–support cooperativity,potentially addressing current limitations of SACs in effectively furnishing transformations which involve synchronous proton–electron exchanges,substrate activation with reversible redox cycles,simultaneous multi-electron transfer,regulation of spin states,tuning of electronic properties,and cyclic transition states with low activation energies.This review aims to encapsulate the growing advancements in bimSACs,with an emphasis on their pivotal role in hydrogen generation via water splitting.We subsequently delve into advanced experimental methodologies for the elaborate characterization of SACs,elucidate their electronic properties,and discuss their local coordination environment.Overall,we present comprehensive discussion on the deployment of bimSACs in both hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction,the two half-reactions of the water electrolysis process.

Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction Performance on NiFe‑Based Catalysts Through d‑Orbital Hybridization

Anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers(AEMWEs)for green hydrogen production have received intensive attention due to their feasibility of using earth-abundant NiFe-based catalysts.By introducing a third metal into NiFe-based catalysts to construct asymmetrical M-NiFe units,the d-orbital and electronic structures can be adjusted,which is an important strategy to achieve sufficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER)performance in AEMWEs.Herein,the ternary NiFeM(M:La,Mo)catalysts featured with distinct M-NiFe units and varying d-orbitals are reported in this work.Experimental and theoretical calculation results reveal that the doping of La leads to optimized hybridization between d orbital in NiFeM and 2p in oxygen,resulting in enhanced adsorption strength of oxygen intermediates,and reduced rate-determining step energy barrier,which is responsible for the enhanced OER performance.More critically,the obtained NiFeLa catalyst only requires 1.58 V to reach 1 A cm^(−2) in an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer and demonstrates excellent long-term stability of up to 600 h.

Preparation of Co/S co-doped carbon catalysts for excellent methylene blue degradation

S and Co co-doped carbon catalysts were prepared via pyrolysis of MOF-71 and thiourea mixtures at 800℃at a mass ratio of MOF-71 to thiourea of 1:0.1 to effectively activate peroxymonosulfate(PMS)for methylene blue(MB)degradation.The effects of two different mixing routes were identified on the MB degradation performance.Particularly,the catalyst obtained by the alcohol solvent evaporation(MOF-AEP)mixing route could degrade 95.60%MB(50 mg/L)within 4 min(degradation rate:K=0.78 min^(-1)),which was faster than that derived from the direct grinding method(MOF-DGP,80.97%,K=0.39 min^(-1)).X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the Co-S content of MOF-AEP(43.39at%)was less than that of MOF-DGP(54.73at%),and the proportion of C-S-C in MOF-AEP(13.56at%)was higher than that of MOF-DGP(10.67at%).Density functional theory calculations revealed that the adsorption energy of Co for PMS was -2.94 eV when sulfur was doped as C-S-C on the carbon skeleton,which was higher than that when sulfur was doped next to cobalt in the form of Co-S bond(-2.86 eV).Thus,the C-S-C sites might provide more contributions to activate PMS compared with Co-S.Furthermore,the degradation parameters,including pH and MOF-AEP dosage,were investigated.Finally,radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR)measurements revealed that ^(1)O_(2)might be the primary catalytic species,whereas·O~(2-)might be the secondary one in degrading MB.

Influence of Additives on Hydrodesulfurization Activity of Fe-Mo/Al_2O_3 Catalysts

Based on the study relating to the influence of additives on the hydrodesulfurization performance of Fe-Mo-Al2O3 catalysts, it was found out that the introduction of additives could increase considerably the activity of Fe-Mo/Al2O3 catalysts in the reaction of hydrodesulfurization of gasoline and diesel fractions. The introduction of zeolites (HY, HZSM) and other additives could lead to an increase of the concentration of acid centers, which were able to react with sulfur compounds, along with an increase of total catalysts’ pore volume, which could improve the capability of catalyst to adsorb the hydrogen and feed oil.

Effects of alkaline additives on the formation of lactic acid in sorbitol hydrogenolysis over Ni/C catalyst

Lactic acid is produced as a major byproduct during sorbitol hydrogenolysis under alkaline conditions.We investigated the effects of two different alkaline additives,Ca（OH）2 and La（OH）3,on lactic acid formation during sorbitol hydrogenolysis over Ni/C catalyst.In the case of Ca（OH）2,the selectivity of lactic acid was 8.9%.In contrast,the inclusion of La（OH）3 resulted in a sorbitol conversion of 99% with only trace quantities of lactic acid being detected.In addition,the total selectivity towards the C2 and C4 products increased from 20.0% to 24.5% going from Ca（OH）2 to La（OH）3.These results therefore indicated that La（OH）3 could be used as an efficient alkaline additive to enhance the conversion of sorbitol.Pyruvic aldehyde,which is formed as an intermediate during sorbitol hydrogenolysis,can be converted to both 1,2-propylene glycol and lactic acid by hydrogenation and rearrangement reactions,respectively.Notably,these two reactions are competitive.When Ca（OH）2 was used as an additive for sorbitol hydrogenolysis,both the hydrogenation and rearrangement reactions occurred.In contrast,the use of La（OH）3 favored the hydrogenation reaction,with only trace quantities of lactic acid being formed.

Strong synergy between physical and chemical properties:Insight into optimization of atomically dispersed oxygen reduction catalysts

Atomically dispersed catalysts exhibit significant influence on facilitating the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)kinetics with high atom economy,owing to remarkable attributes including nearly 100%atomic utilization and exceptional catalytic functionality.Furthermore,accurately controlling atomic physical properties including spin,charge,orbital,and lattice degrees of atomically dispersed catalysts can realize the optimized chemical properties including maximum atom utilization efficiency,homogenous active centers,and satisfactory catalytic performance,but remains elusive.Here,through physical and chemical insight,we review and systematically summarize the strategies to optimize atomically dispersed ORR catalysts including adjusting the atomic coordination environment,adjacent electronic orbital and site density,and the choice of dual-atom sites.Then the emphasis is on the fundamental understanding of the correlation between the physical property and the catalytic behavior for atomically dispersed catalysts.Finally,an overview of the existing challenges and prospects to illustrate the current obstacles and potential opportunities for the advancement of atomically dispersed catalysts in the realm of electrocatalytic reactions is offered.

Boric Acid-Assisted Pyrolysis for High-Loading Single-Atom Catalysts to Boost Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Zn-Air Batteries

The emerging of single-atom catalysts(SACs)offers a great opportunity for the development of advanced energy storage and conversion devices due to their excellent activity and durability,but the actual mass production of high-loading SACs is still challenging.Herein,a facile and green boron acid(H_(3)BO_(3))-assisted pyrolysis strategy is put forward to synthesize SACs by only using chitosan,cobalt salt and H_(3)BO_(3)as precursor,and the effect of H_(3)BO_(3)is deeply investigated.The results show that molten boron oxide derived from H_(3)BO_(3)as ideal high-temperature carbonization media and blocking media play important role in the synthesis process.As a result,the acquired Co/N/B tri-doped porous carbon framework(Co-N-B-C)not only presents hierarchical porous structure,large specific surface area and abundant carbon edges but also possesses high-loading single Co atom(4.2 wt.%),thus giving rise to outstanding oxygen catalytic performance.When employed as a catalyst for air cathode in Zn-air batteries,the resultant Co-N-B-C catalyst shows remarkable power density and long-term stability.Clearly,our work gains deep insight into the role of H_(3)BO_(3)and provides a new avenue to synthesis of high-performance SACs.

Rationally designing electrolyte additives for highly improving cyclability of LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)/Graphite cells

High voltage is necessary for high energy lithium-ion batteries but difficult to achieve because of the highly deteriorated cyclability of the batteries.A novel strategy is developed to extend cyclability of a high voltage lithium-ion battery,LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)/Graphite(LNMO/Graphite)cell,which emphasizes a rational design of an electrolyte additive that can effectively construct protective interphases on anode and cathode and highly eliminate the effect of hydrogen fluoride(HF).5-Trifluoromethylpyridine-trime thyl lithium borate(LTFMP-TMB),is synthesized,featuring with multi-functionalities.Its anion TFMPTMB-tends to be enriched on cathode and can be preferentially oxidized yielding TMB and radical TFMP-.Both TMB and radical TFMP can combine HF and thus eliminate the detrimental effect of HF on cathode,while the TMB dragged on cathode thus takes a preferential oxidation and constructs a protective cathode interphase.On the other hand,LTFMP-TMB is preferentially reduced on anode and constructs a protective anode interphase.Consequently,a small amount of LTFMP-TMB(0.2%)in 1.0 M LiPF6in EC/DEC/EMC(3/2/5,wt%)results in a highly improved cyclability of LNMO/Graphite cell,with the capacity retention enhanced from 52%to 80%after 150 cycles at 0.5 C between 3.5 and 4.8 V.The as-developed strategy provides a model of designing electrolyte additives for improving cyclability of high voltage batteries.

Steam reforming of acetic acid over Ni-Ba/Al2O3 catalysts:Impacts of barium addition on coking behaviors and formation of reaction intermediates

The influence of barium addition to a Ni/Al2O3 catalyst on the reaction intermediates formed,the activity,resistance of the catalyst to coking,and properties of the coke formed after acetic acid steam reforming were investigated in this study.The results showed the drastic effects of barium addition on the physicochemical properties and performances of the catalyst.The solid-phase reaction between alumina and BaO formed BaAl2O4,which re-constructed the alumina structure,resulting in a decrease in the specific surface area and an increase in the resistance of metallic Ni to sintering.The addition of barium was also beneficial for enhancing the catalytic activity,resulting from the changed catalytic reaction network.The in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) study of the acetic acid steam reforming indicated that barium could effectively suppress the accumulation of the reaction intermediates of carbonyl,formate,and C=C functional groups on the catalyst surface,attributed to its relatively high ability to cause the gasification of these species.In addition,coking was considerably more significant over the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst.Moreover,the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was more stable than the Ni/Al2O3catalyst,owing to the distinct forms of coke formed (carbon nanotube form over the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst,and the amorphous form over the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst).

Optimizing high-coordination shell of Co-based single-atom catalysts for efficient ORR and zinc-air batteries

Atom-level modulation of the coordination environment for single-atom catalysts(SACs)is considered as an effective strategy for elevating the catalytic performance.For the MNxsite,breaking the symmetrical geometry and charge distribution by introducing relatively weak electronegative atoms into the first/second shell is an efficient way,but it remains challenging for elucidating the underlying mechanism of interaction.Herein,a practical strategy was reported to rationally design single cobalt atoms coordinated with both phosphorus and nitrogen atoms in a hierarchically porous carbon derived from metal-organic frameworks.X-ray absorption spectrum reveals that atomically dispersed Co sites are coordinated with four N atoms in the first shell and varying numbers of P atoms in the second shell(denoted as Co-N/P-C).The prepared catalyst exhibits excellent oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)activity as well as zinc-air battery performance.The introduction of P atoms in the Co-SACs weakens the interaction between Co and N,significantly promoting the adsorption process of ^(*)OOH,resulting in the acceleration of reaction kinetics and reduction of thermodynamic barrier,responsible for the increased intrinsic activity.Our discovery provides insights into an ultimate design of single-atom catalysts with adjustable electrocatalytic activities for efficient electrochemical energy conversion.

Single-atom catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons and oxygenates

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide offers a sound and economically viable technology for the electrification and decarbonization of the chemical and fuel industries.In this technology,an electrocatalytic material and renewable energy-generated electricity drive the conversion of carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals and carbon-neutral fuels.Over the past few years,single-atom catalysts have been intensively studied as they could provide near-unity atom utilization and unique catalytic performance.Single-atom catalysts have become one of the state-of-the-art catalyst materials for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide.However,it remains a challenge for single-atom catalysts to facilitate the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide into products beyond carbon monoxide.In this review,we summarize and present important findings and critical insights from studies on the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction into hydrocarbons and oxygenates using single-atom catalysts.It is hoped that this review gives a thorough recapitulation and analysis of the science behind the catalysis of carbon dioxide into more reduced products through singleatom catalysts so that it can be a guide for future research and development on catalysts with industry-ready performance for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals and carbon-neutral fuels.

Boosting Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis via Tuning of N Dopants in TiO_(2)@CN-Supported Ru Catalysts

Nitrogen(N)-doped carbon materials as metal catalyst supports have attracted signifi cant attention,but the eff ect of N dopants on catalytic performance remains unclear,especially for complex reaction processes such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis(FTS).Herein,we engineered ruthenium(Ru)FTS catalysts supported on N-doped carbon overlayers on TiO_(2)nanoparticles.By regulating the carbonization temperatures,we successfully controlled the types and contents of N dopants to identify their impacts on metal-support interactions(MSI).Our fi ndings revealed that N dopants establish a favorable surface environment for electron transfer from the support to the Ru species.Moreover,pyridinic N demonstrates the highest electron-donating ability,followed by pyrrolic N and graphitic N.In addition to realizing excellent catalytic stability,strengthening the interaction between Ru sites and N dopants increases the Ru^(0)/Ru^(δ+)ratios to enlarge the active site numbers and surface electron density of Ru species to enhance the strength of adsorbed CO.Consequently,it improves the catalyst’s overall performance,encompassing intrinsic and apparent activities,as well as its ability for carbon chain growth.Accordingly,the as-synthesized Ru/TiO_(2)@CN-700 catalyst with abundant pyridine N dopants exhibits a superhigh C_(5+)time yield of 219.4 mol CO/(mol Ru·h)and C_(5+)selectivity of 85.5%.

Dual Additives for Stabilizing Li Deposition and SEI Formation in Anode-Free Li-Metal Batteries

Anode-free Li-metal batteries are of significant interest to energy storage industries due to their intrinsically high energy.However,the accumulative Li dendrites and dead Li continuously consume active Li during cycling.That results in a short lifetime and low Coulombic efficiency of anode-free Li-metal batteries.Introducing effective electrolyte additives can improve the Li deposition homogeneity and solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)stability for anode-free Li-metal batteries.Herein,we reveal that introducing dual additives,composed of LiAsF6 and fluoroethylene carbonate,into a low-cost commercial carbonate electrolyte will boost the cycle life and average Coulombic efficiency of NMC‖Cu anode-free Li-metal batteries.The NMC‖Cu anode-free Li-metal batteries with the dual additives exhibit a capacity retention of about 75%after 50 cycles,much higher than those with bare electrolytes(35%).The average Coulombic efficiency of the NMC‖Cu anode-free Li-metal batteries with additives can maintain 98.3%over 100 cycles.In contrast,the average Coulombic efficiency without additives rapidly decline to 97%after only 50 cycles.In situ Raman measurements reveal that the prepared dual additives facilitate denser and smoother Li morphology during Li deposition.The dual additives significantly suppress the Li dendrite growth,enabling stable SEI formation on anode and cathode surfaces.Our results provide a broad view of developing low-cost and high-effective functional electrolytes for high-energy and long-life anode-free Li-metal batteries.

Effect of CeO_2 addition on Ni/Al_2O_3 catalysts for methanation of carbon dioxide with hydrogen

The Ni-CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts with a nickel content of 15 wt% prepared via impregnating boehmite were found to be highly active and stable for methanation of carbon dioxide with hydrogen at a H2/CO2 molar ratio of 4. The effects of CeO2 content and reaction temperature on the performance of the Ni-CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts were studied in detail. The results showed that the catalytic performance was strongly dependent on the CeO2 content in Ni-CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts and that the catalysts with 2 wt% CeO2 had the highest catalytic activity among the tested ones at 350 ℃. The XRD and H2-TPR characterizations revealed that the addition of CeO2 decreased the reduction temperature by altering the interaction between Ni and Al2O3, and improved the reducibility of the catalyst. Preliminary stability test of 120 h on stream over the Ni-2CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst at 350 ℃ revealed that the catalyst was much better than the unpromoted one.

The regulation of ferrocene-based catalysts on heat transfer in highpressure combustion of ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene/aluminum composite propellants

The regulation of the burning rate pressure exponent for the ammonium perchlorate/hydroxylterminated polybutadiene/aluminum(AP/HTPB/Al)composite propellants under high pressures is a crucial step for its application in high-pressure solid rocket motors.In this work,the combustion characteristics of AP/HTPB/Al composite propellants containing ferrocene-based catalysts were investigated,including the burning rate,thermal behavior,the local heat transfer,and temperature profile in the range of 7-28 MPa.The results showed that the exponent breaks were still observed in the propellants after the addition of positive catalysts(Ce-Fc-MOF),the burning rate inhibitor((Ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium bromide,Fc Br)and the mixture of Fc Br/catocene(GFP).However,the characteristic pressure has increased,and the exponent decreased from 1.14 to 0.66,0.55,and 0.48 when the addition of Ce-FcMOF,Fc Br and Fc Br/GFP in the propellants.In addition,the temperature in the first decomposition stage was increased by 7.50℃ and 11.40℃ for the AP/Fc Br mixture and the AP/Fc Br/GFP mixture,respectively,compared to the pure AP.On the other hand,the temperature in the second decomposition stage decreased by 48.30℃ and 81.70℃ for AP/Fc Br and AP/Fc Br/GFP mixtures,respectively.It was also found that Fc Br might generate ammonia to cover the AP surface.In this case,a reaction between the methyl in Fc Br and perchloric acid caused more ammonia to appear at the AP surface,resulting in the suppression of ammonia desorption.In addition,the coarse AP particles on the quenched surface were of a concave shape relative to the binder matrix under low and high pressures when the catalysts were added.In the process,the decline at the AP/HTPB interface was only exhibited in the propellant with the addition of Ce-Fc-MOF.The ratio of the gas-phase temperature gradient of the propellants containing catalysts was reduced significantly below and above the characteristic pressure,rather than 3.6 times of the difference in the blank propellant.Overall,the obtained results demonstrated that the pressure exponent could be effectively regulated and controlled by adjusting the propellant local heat and mass transfer under high and low pressures.

High-rate electrochemical H_(2)O_(2) production over multimetallic atom catalysts under acidic–neutral conditions

Hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))production by the electrochemical 2-electron oxygen reduction reaction(2e−ORR)is a promising alternative to the energy-intensive anthraquinone process,and single-atom electrocatalysts show the unique capability of high selectivity toward 2e−ORR against the 4e−one.The extremely low surface density of the single-atom sites and the inflexibility in manipulating their geometric/electronic configurations,however,compromise the H_(2)O_(2) yield and impede further performance enhancement.Herein,we construct a family of multiatom catalysts(MACs),on which two or three single atoms are closely coordinated to form high-density active sites that are versatile in their atomic configurations for optimal adsorption of essential*OOH species.Among them,the Cox–Ni MAC presents excellent electrocatalytic performance for 2e−ORR,in terms of its exceptionally high H_(2)O_(2) yield in acidic electrolytes(28.96 mol L^(−1) gcat.^(−1) h^(−1))and high selectivity under acidic to neutral conditions in a wide potential region(>80%,0–0.7 V).Operando X-ray absorption and density functional theory analyses jointly unveil its unique trimetallic Co2NiN8 configuration,which efficiently induces an appropriate Ni–d orbital filling and modulates the*OOH adsorption,together boosting the electrocatalytic 2e−ORR capability.This work thus provides a new MAC strategy for tuning the geometric/electronic structure of active sites for 2e−ORR and other potential electrochemical processes.

Bimetallic In_(2)O_(3)/Bi_(2)O_(3) Catalysts Enable Highly Selective CO_(2) Electroreduction to Formate within Ultra-Broad Potential Windows

CO_(2)electrochemical reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)to formate is a hopeful pathway for reducing CO_(2)and producing high-value chemicals,which needs highly selective catalysts with ultra-broad potential windows to meet the industrial demands.Herein,the nanorod-like bimetallic ln_(2)O_(3)/Bi_(2)O_(3)catalysts were successfully synthesized by pyrolysis of bimetallic InBi-MOF precursors.The abundant oxygen vacancies generated from the lattice mismatch of Bi_(2)O_(3)and ln_(2)O_(3)reduced the activation energy of CO_(2)to*CO_(2)·^(-)and improved the selectivity of*CO_(2)·^(-)to formate simultaneously.Meanwhile,the carbon skeleton derived from the pyrolysis of organic framework of InBi-MOF provided a conductive network to accelerate the electrons transmission.The catalyst exhibited an ultra-broad applied potential window of 1200 mV(from-0.4 to-1.6 V vs RHE),relativistic high Faradaic efficiency of formate(99.92%)and satisfactory stability after 30 h.The in situ FT-IR experiment and DFT calculation verified that the abundant oxygen vacancies on the surface of catalysts can easily absorb CO_(2)molecules,and oxygen vacancy path is dominant pathway.This work provides a convenient method to construct high-performance bimetallic catalysts for the industrial application of CO_(2)RR.

Current Status and Perspectives of Dual-Atom Catalysts Towards Sustainable Energy Utilization

The exploration of sustainable energy utilization requires the imple-mentation of advanced electrochemical devices for efficient energy conversion and storage,which are enabled by the usage of cost-effective,high-performance electro-catalysts.Currently,heterogeneous atomically dispersed catalysts are considered as potential candidates for a wide range of applications.Compared to conventional cata-lysts,atomically dispersed metal atoms in carbon-based catalysts have more unsatu-rated coordination sites,quantum size effect,and strong metal-support interactions,resulting in exceptional catalytic activity.Of these,dual-atomic catalysts(DACs)have attracted extensive attention due to the additional synergistic effect between two adja-cent metal atoms.DACs have the advantages of full active site exposure,high selectiv-ity,theoretical 100%atom utilization,and the ability to break the scaling relationship of adsorption free energy on active sites.In this review,we summarize recent research advancement of DACs,which includes(1)the comprehensive understanding of the synergy between atomic pairs;(2)the synthesis of DACs;(3)characterization meth-ods,especially aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron spectroscopy;and(4)electrochemical energy-related applications.The last part focuses on great potential for the electrochemical catalysis of energy-related small molecules,such as oxygen reduction reaction,CO_(2) reduction reaction,hydrogen evolution reaction,and N_(2) reduction reaction.The future research challenges and opportunities are also raised in prospective section.

Effects of sol-gel method and lanthanum addition on catalytic performances of nickel-based catalysts for methane reforming with carbon dioxide

The nickel-based catalysts were prepared by the sol-gel method and used for the CH4 reforming with CO2. The effects of the sol-gel method on the specific surface area, catalytic activity, desorption, and reduction performances of catalysts were investigated with BET, TPR, and TPD. Compared with the catalyst prepared by the impregnation method, the results indicated that the catalysts prepared by the sol-gel method had larger specific surface area, showing higher catalytic activities and exhibiting perfect desorption and reduction performances. In addition, the modification effects of adding La were studied, and it was found that the 0.75NLBT catalyst constituted of 5wt.%Ni-0.75wt.%La was optimal.

Effect of Metallic Additives on Structure and Catalytic Properties of Supported NiPB/SiO_2 Catalyst

A new preparation method was proposed to deposit amorphous alloys alloys containing NiPand metallic metallic additives such as Fe.Co. and Cu.The different effects of metallic additive onstructure and catalytic properties of supported amorphous NiMPB/SiO2 (M=Fe, Co. Cu) cafalysts were observed,and the improvement of catalytic activity due to heating pretreatment in hydrogenwas found.