Removal of organometallic compounds from natural feedstock by surface organometallic chemistry on metals: hydrogenolysis of AsPh3 on nickel supported on alumina

Abstract Hydrogenolysis of triphenylarsine (AsPh 3 ) on Ni/Al 2 O 3 at 172 °C and 6 bars of hydrogen occurs selectively on the nickel particles and not on the alumina support. According to the kinetic, magnetic and XRD data, the reaction of AsPh 3 with the surface Ni s –H produces benzene and the surface organometallic fragments Ni s –[AsPh x ] y . Stepwise hydrogenolyis of these fragments leads progressively, with time, to the formation of arsenic ‘adatoms’, which migrate rapidly inside the nickel particles. The reaction is stopped after complete formation of a well defined Ni–As alloy, which has been fully characterized by X-ray diffraction. © 2000 Academie des sciences / Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS