Katalysator og fremgangsmåde til fremstilling deraf

摘要

This invention concerns a catalyst which, for instance, is suited for hydrogenation and consists of at least one catalytically active metal in a low-valence state on an essentially carbon substrate. This substrate consists of carbon which is present in an amorphous state with curved surfaces of the molecular planes which contain non-six-membered carbon rings and the catalytically active metal is covalently bonded to the carbon substrate. This catalyst is produced by vaporizing graphite in an electric arc between at least two graphite electrodes in a vacuum apparatus under a non-oxidizing atmosphere. To that end, the process is carried out a) in a vacuum apparatus with cooled walls with direct or alternating current under a pressure of 100 Pa or less, the precipitated product on the cooled walls being recovered, or b) with direct current from 1 Pa to 100 kPa using arc lengths of 0.1 to 20 mm, the product which grows on the negative pole of the electrode connected to the power supply being recovered, and c) with alternating current at a pressure of 1 Pa to 100 Pa and arc length of 0.1 to 20 mm the product which grows on the carbon electrodes being recovered, and d) the product obtained from a), b) or c) being recovered with a thermolabile low-valent compound or complex of a catalytically active metal.