My lab has bought an Ru/C sample which has a moisture content of about ten percent while packing. I want to know whether there is any way of reducing the moisture content of the sample before using it, in order to get an enhanced performance in water electrolysis
We dry our catalysts carefully by heating in a stream of inert gas. For removing the water, we apply a low heating ramp of 1 K / min from room temperature up to 120°C and hold at this temperature until the water signal decreases, which is typically 1 hour. The optimum holding temperature can be determined by prior TPD. Reactivation of the catalyst in hydrogen may be advisable.
You can use a hygroscopic matter in desiccator. You can find the best desiccants online. I can recommend NaCl or NaOH as the cheapest
Powerful dehydration is by means of azeotropic distillation. Place the dehydrated material in a round boiling flask and cover it with an organic solvent and equip it with a downdraft condenser. Bring the liquid to a boil and collect the distillate. The end of drying can be recognized when the condensate ceases to be cloudy and is clean. Due to the catalytic hydrogenation effects of Ru/carbide, fully hydrogenated Cyclohexane and the distillation temperature of 81C should not be affected. Aromatic hydrocarbons Toluene 110C and an isomeric mixture of Xylenes 1,2, 1,3 and 1,4 (para xylene) with a boiling point from 135 to 140C. Xylenes in particular achieve such a dehydrating performance that I managed to split water from the mono-hydrates of inorganic compounds. The advantage is that the removal of water takes place in an environment without the presence of air.
A cyclohexane ring carbon fully occupied by hydrogen should not react. With the more powerful Toluene and Xylene, there is a risk that it breaks the bond H2O to H-O-H and then hydrogenation and simultaneous hydroxylation due to the loss of the double bond cannot be ruled out.
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