PEG-400 Assisted Preparation of High-Loading Highly Dispersed Ni/AC Catalyst and Its Hydrogenation Performance for DNT

A PEG-400-assisted impregnation-precipitation method synthesized 50 wt% Ni/AC catalysts for dinitrotoluene (DNT) hydrogenation. Optimal PEG-400 dosage (0.4 g) suppressed Ni agglomeration via steric hindrance, yielding uniform 10.9-nm Ni nanoparticles and mesopores (12.24 nm). This enhanced dispersion and mass transfer, achieving complete DNT conversion in 5 min under mild conditions (120 °C, 2.1 MPa H 2 ) with 99.99% TDA selectivity and zero tar. The catalyst retained > 95.5% conversion and > 97.3% selectivity over 10 cycles, demonstrating exceptional stability. PEG's dual role in structural control and pore engineering effectively addresses the dispersion challenges inherent to high-loading catalysts. Graphical PEG-400 directs the synthesis of a 50 wt% Ni/AC catalyst via impregnation-precipitation. Optimal PEG dosage (0.4 g) enables steric hindrance control, yielding uniform 10.9-nm Ni nanoparticles and mesopores. This catalyst achieves complete DNT hydrogenation to TDA in 5 min (120 °C; 2.1 MPa H 2 ) with > 99.99% selectivity and zero tar, retaining high performance over 10 cycles.