Aromatic hydrogenation-hydrogenolysis

Olefins and aromatic hydrogenation reaction are undesired in gasoline HDT unfortunately, they cannot be fully inhibited. The high requirement on hydrogenolysis, but low hydrogenation activity, makes CoMo the preferred catalysts. New catalysts are being offered by the manufactures for selective HDS. Speculatively, two concepts have been used to develop new selective catalyst (i) improve thiophene HDS, or (ii) passivate olefin hydrogenation. 

The general reaction occurring in hydrodesulfurization has been described in Section 2.1.1. The most studied model compound is DBT. The reactivity towards hydrogenation of the phenyl substituents already mentioned (Section 2.1.1) is also observed in the hydroprocessing of sulfur compounds. The reactivity towards hydrogenolysis of the C-S bond masks the effects associated to aromatics hydrogenation. The DBT reaction network is sketched in Fig. 8 the pseudo-first-order reaction constants measured by Houalla [68] have been included. 

In this section we shall consider the results recorded in the literature that pertain to the structures of the adsorbed species. Kinetic or catalytic aspects, as could be relevant to hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, or metathesis processes, will be treated in Part 11. Spectra of the much-investigated alkenes are discussed in detail in Part I. The spectra of the other principal types of hydrocarbon adsorbates, viz. alkynes, alkanes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics, will be analyzed in Part II. Most results are available for the type-molecules ethene, ethyne, ethane, and benzene as well as for the metals, Pt, Pd, Ni, Rh, and Ru. 

Pt-Sn Coimpregnation on A1203./ - / Reduced in H2. Hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, aromatization of hydrocarbons. 

The catalyst treated in the presence of dodecane alone retains nearly all the activity of the freshly sulfided catalyst. The catalyst samples treated in the presence of water are both deactivated. They lost approximately two thirds of the initial activity. The evolution of the activity for the catalyst treated in the presence of water and hydrogen sulfide (H20-H2S(X)) indicates that 46 % of the activity are lost after 12 hours of treatment and that a stabilisation occurs between 12 and 36 hours. The selectivity for hydrogenation of the aromatic ring relative to direct elimination of phenolic OH group (hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis) does not vary significantly for any catalyst... 

Fig. 14.62. Polar hydrogenation/ hydrogenolysis of an aromatic ketone (meta-nitroacetophenone). CF3COOH causes a reversible protonation of the ketone to the carboxonium ion A. The reducing agent triethylsilane then transfers a hydride ion onto A to form a benzylic alcohol. This alcohol presumably is silylated, protonated, and converted into the benzyl cation B. A second hydride transfer yields the final product.

TABLE 11.17 Effects of Solvents on Hydrogenation-Hydrogenolysis of Aromatic Amines over Ruthenium Catalyst ... 

The benzyl ether s Achilles heel is the aromatic ring and, after reading the first half of this chapter, you should be able to suggest conditions that will take it off again hydrogenation (hydrogenolysis) over a palladium catalyst, which cleaves benzylic C—O bonds. 

Aromatic rings are hydrogenated with a variety of catalysts. However, aromatic alkoxy and hydroxyl substituents are susceptible to hydrogenolysis under most conditions used to saturate the ring. Hydrogenolysis does not occur to any appreciable extent with ruthenium catalysts even though high temperatures and pressures are required. Thus, substituted phenols are... 

Catalytic hydrogenation in acetic anhydride-benzene removes the aromatic benzyl ether and forms a monoacetate hydrogenation in ethyl acetate removes the aliphatic benzyl ether to give, after acetylation, the diacetate. Trisubstituted aDcenes can be retained during the hydrogenolysis of a phenolic benzyl ether. ... 

Aldehydes and ketones are similar in their response to hydrogenation catalysis, and an ordering of catalyst activities usually applies to both functions. But the difference between aliphatic and aromatic carbonyls is marked, and preferred catalysts differ. In hydrogenation of aliphatic carbonyls, hydrogenolysis seldom occurs, unless special structural features are present, but with aryl carbonyls either reduction to the alcohol or loss of the hydroxy group can be achieved at will. 

Ruthenium is excellent for hydrogenation of aliphatic carbonyl compounds (92), and it, as well as nickel, is used industrially for conversion of glucose to sorbitol (14,15,29,75,100). Nickel usually requires vigorous conditions unless large amounts of catalyst are used (11,20,27,37,60), or the catalyst is very active, such as W-6 Raney nickel (6). Copper chromite is always used at elevated temperatures and pressures and may be useful if aromatic-ring saturation is to be avoided. Rhodium has given excellent results under mild conditions when other catalysts have failed (4,5,66). It is useful in reduction of aliphatic carbonyls in molecules susceptible to hydrogenolysis. 

Hydrogenolysis of aromatic carbonyls occurs mainly by conversion to the benzyl alcohol and its subsequent loss. If hydrogenolysis is desired, the usual catalyst is palladium 38). Hydrogenolysis is facilitated by polar solvent and by acid (55). For instance, hydrogenation of 3,3-dicarbethoxy-5,8-dimethoxy-l-tetralone (5) over 5% Pd-on-C gave 6 quantitatively 54) when hydrogen absorption ceased spontaneously. 

An unusual by-product was obtained in small yield in palladium-catalyzed reduction of 2-amino-4,5-dimethoxyindanone hydrochloride, The reduction was done in two stages first, a rapid absorption of 1 mol of hydrogen at 38 C to give the amino alcohol, and then a much slower reduction in the presence of HCIO4 at 70 "C. The rearranged by-product was shown to arise from attack of acid on the amino alcohol (50), Resistance to hydrogenolysis is characteristic of / -amino aromatic alcohols (56), a fact that makes reduction of aromatic oximino ketones to amino benzyl alcohols a useful synthetic reaction. 

This result stands in contrast to hydrogenation of 2-oximino-]-indanone (R = H), which stopped spontaneously at the 2-amino-1-indanol stage under similar conditions (43). This latter result accords with the general exp>erience in reduction of aromatic -oximino ketones (35,37 38,39,40). The amino function usually severely inhibits hydrogenolysis of the alcohol. 

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