A method of methyl ether ketone (MEK) production from 2-butanol includes contacting 2-butanol in the gas phase with a solid Co.sub.3O.sub.4@C nanocomposite catalyst to dehydrogenate the 2-butanol and form the MEK and hydrogen while gas sparging the reactor, where the Co.sub.3O.sub.4@C nanocomposite catalyst has a conversion of greater than or equal to 70 mol. % for 2-butanol to MEK and a selectivity of greater than or equal to 97.0% for 2-butanol to MEK.

The present embodiments relate generally to electrochemical processes and more particularly to methods and apparatuses for high-performance alkaline water electrolysis and renewable fuel generation. One or more embodiments relate to a unique core-shell structure (A@BOxHy) in which the amorphous or nanoporous shell structure (BOxHy) can significantly enhance reaction kinetics and allow selective transport of certain feedstock while protecting the core catalysts (A) from competitive adsorption and morphology degradation, leading to both optimized activity and durability.

A process for preparing a catalyst comprising an active nickel phase and an alumina support, said catalyst comprising between 1% and 50% by weight of elemental nickel relative to the total weight of the catalyst, the nickel being distributed both over a crust at the periphery of the support, and at the core of the support, which process comprises the following steps: a) said support is impregnated with a volume V1 of a hexanol solution of between 0.2 and 0.8 times the total pore volume TPV of said support in order to obtain an impregnated support; b) the impregnated support obtained at the end of step a) is impregnated with a solution comprising a precursor of the nickel active phase in order to obtain a catalyst precursor; c) the catalyst precursor obtained at the end of step b) is dried at a temperature below 250 C.

A method for the low-temperature heat treatment of toluene by using a composite material having a ternary NiO nanosheet @ bimetallic CeCuO.sub.x microsheet core-shell structure. The composite material having the ternary NiO nanosheet @ bimetallic CeCuO.sub.x microsheet core-shell structure is placed in an environment containing toluene, and is heated at a low temperature to complete the treatment of toluene. The use of precious metal particles loading is avoided for the catalyst, and the costs of materials is thus greatly reduced. Moreover, nickel oxide grows on CeCuO.sub.x microsheet nanosheets. The preparation process is relatively simple, and the catalytic performance on toluene is excellent. Therefore, the method has high economical practicability and research value. The 3Ni/CeCuO.sub.x catalyst may completely catalyze toluene at 210 C., which has great research significance and certain application prospects for the actual solution of toluene polluted gas in the air environment.