Formic acid, nickel catalyzed decomposition

For example, Fahrenfort et al. [42] considered the possible role of the intermediate formation of nickel formate in the nickel catalyzed decomposition of formic acid. They showed that when the volatile reaction products were rapidly removed, the carbon monoxide concentration was greater than that expected from the water-gas equihbriiun. When the gaseous products remained in contact with the residual solid, containing catalytically active nickel metal, the [C0]/[C02] ratio was that expected from the water-gas equilibrium. The composition of the primary products thus... 

Compensation trends found for decomposition of formic acid on metal (and other) catalysts are represented diagrammatically in Fig. 7. Line I (Table III, Q) refers to reactions over nickel and copper (3, 190, 194, 236), gold (5,189,237), cobalt (137,194), and iron (194) the observations included in this group were obtained by selection, since other metals, which showed large deviations, were omitted [see also (5), p. 422], Line I is close to that calculated for the reaction catalyzed by nickel metal (Table III, R) (3, 137, 189-194, 238). Lines II (19,233) and III (3, 234, 235) (Table III, O and P) refer to decomposition on silver. The other lines were found for the same rate process on IV, copper-nickel alloys (190) V, oxides (47, 137), VI, tungsten bronzes (239) and VII, Cu3Au (Table III, S) (240a). 

Trillo et al. (47,137) have reported compensation behavior in oxide-catalyzed decomposition of formic acid and the Arrhenius parameters for the same reactions on cobalt and nickel metals are close to the same line, Table V, K. Since the values of E for the dehydration of this reactant on titania and on chromia were not influenced by doping or sintering, it was concluded (47) that the rate-limiting step here was not controlled by the semiconducting properties of the oxide. In contrast, the compensation effect found for the dehydrogenation reaction was ascribed to a dependence of the Arrhenius parameters on the ease of transfer of the electrons to the solid. The possibility that the compensation behavior arises through changes in the mobility of surface intermediates is also mentioned (137). 

Nitriles [1, 725-726, after citation of ref. 23]. The original method of Backeberg and Staskun23 for conversion of a nitrile to an aldehyde does not proceed well with hindered nitriles in this case, use of moist Raney nickel in formic acid is recommended.233 The formic acid serves as a source of hydrogen, and the nickel catalyzes both decomposition of the acid and reduction of the nitrile. 

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