An electrolytic deposition (ED) method is proposed to
fabricate
monolithic catalysts and applied for nitrobenzene (NB) hydrogenation
in a micropacked bed (MPB). In contrast to the particle catalysts
and monolithic catalysts with a suspension circulation (SC) method,
the monolithic catalysts with the ED method have better uniformity
for coatings and the active component. The investigation of overall
external mass transfer performance reveals that the hydrogenation
in MPBs with monolithic catalysts is significantly affected by external
mass transfer. The catalysts with the ED method demonstrate high activity,
selectivity, and stability in NB hydrogenation, and the activity is
higher than that of particle catalysts and catalysts with the SC method.
This ED method is universal and applicable for a variety of coatings,
including Al2O3, SiO2, CeO2, and TiO2, and can provide more efficient monolithic
catalysts for improving the hydrogenation performance in MPBs.