Chemical Properties
GREY METALLIC POWDER
Uses
Nickel Boride is used as a selective hydrogenation catalyst, desulfurization catalyst; reduces nitro and other functional groups;
dehalogenation catalyst; hydrogenolysis catalyst.
Preparation
Preparative Methods of Nickel Boride: to a stirred suspension of 1.24 g (5 mmol) of powdered Nickel(II) Acetate in 50 mL of
95% ethanol is added 5 mL of a 1 M solution of Sodium Borohydride in 95% ethanol at room temperature
(control frothing). Stirring is continued until the gas evolution ceases (usually 30 min). The flask is used directly
in the hydrogenation. This catalyst is nonpyrophoric.
storage
Caution must be taken in handling nickel salts. Ingestion of soluble nickel
salts causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Nickel chloride has an LD50 (iv) = 40-80 mg kg-1 in dogs. Many
nickel salts will sublime in vacuo. Nickel metal is carcinogenic and certain nickel compounds may reasonably be
expected to be carcinogenic.
