What type of catalyst was used in this experiment and how does it work?

[Warpspeed13]

Can someone explain what type if nickel catalyst they used in this http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2010/March/16031001.asp experiment? Is it literally just nickel or is it a nickel compound? When someone says they used an xmetal catalyst is it literally just that metal or are all compounds containing that metal collectively called an xmetal catalyst?

 

[Borek]

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.200903071/abstract

 

[Warpspeed13]

Any idea where I could find the article free on the web? It looks like it costs money and it'll take my schools librarian a while to get it.

 

[Mike H]

If you search on Google/Google Scholar for articles, you can often find author reprints posted on their personal/departmental websites, as was the case http://www.iris.ethz.ch/msrl/publications/files/Adv_Mater_2010.pdf (PDF document).

 

[Warpspeed13]

Cool thank you very much. I had no idea.

 

[Warpspeed13]

Probably a stupid question but the catalyst they used was Ni(NO3) hexahydrate, that has a boiling point of 136.7 degrees Celsius shouldn't it have all evaporated and been useless by the time they got the material to 1160 degrees Celsius?

 

[Borek]

It is an ionic salt, my bet is that what is happening is on melting it dissolves in its own hydration water and then the hydration water boils out, leaving anhydrous salt behind.