Ordered mesoporous zirconia microspheres and nanorod arrays for selective hydrogenation of stearic acid

The ordered mesoporous zirconia microspheres and nanorod arrays were achieved by manipulating the evaporation rate of the solvent. The crystalline mesoporous walls are tetragonal zirconia. The selective hydrogenation of stearic acid can be catalyzed by the ordered mesoporous zirconia microspheres and nanorod arrays loaded with nickel. The mesoporous zirconia nanorod arrays show high activity because of their large specific surface area and accessible porous structures, and high selectivity owing to the confinement effect of mesoporous channels.