Isomerization methylcyclopentane

Benzene, naphthalene, toluene, and the xylenes are naturally occurring compounds obtained from coal tar. Industrial synthetic methods, called catalytic reforming, utilize alkanes and cycloalkanes isolated from petroleum. Thus, cyclohexane is dehydrogenated (aromatization), and n-hexane(cycli> zation) and methylcyclopentane(isomerization) are converted to benzene. Aromatization is the reverse of catalytic hydrogenation and, in the laboratory, the same catalysts—Pt, Pd, and Ni—can be used. The stability of the aromatic ring favors dehydrogenation. 

Whereas the cyclohexane-methylcyclopentane isomerization involves initial formation of the cyclohexyl (methylcyclopentyl) cation, that is, via protolysis of a C-H bond, it should be mentioned that in the acid-catalyzed isomerization of cyclohexane, up to 10% hexanes are also formed, and this is indicative of C-C bond protolysis (Scheme 6.10). 

The catalytic properties of metal-zirconium phosphate solid has also been investigated (21, 349). The catalysts were prepared by the ion exchange of zirconium phosphate with copper, nickel, and chromium ions. Cataljdic dehydration of 2-propanol was studied at 160°-350°C, with zirconium phosphate itself giving the highest activity, yielding 97% propylene at 230°-240°C. Introduction of Cu +, Ni +, and Cr " decreased the dehydrating properties, and also decreased the catalytic isomerizing properties when tested with the cyclohexane-methylcyclopentane isomerization. The introduction of copper and nickel improved the dehydration properties of zirconium phosphate when tested on ethylbenzene. 

Skeletal rearrangements of saturated hydrocarbons on CePd3 were studied by Le Normand et al. (1984). Hydrogenolysis of methylcyclopentane, isomerization of 2-methyl-pentane and aromatization of 3-methylhexane were performed at 350 or 360°C. The results were compared with those of classical Pd/Al203, Pd/Si02 or Pd/Ce02 catalysts. The activity of CePd3 itself was very low and palladium atoms seemed to play a minor role. For example, the initial reaction of methylcyclopentane was the selective formation of isopentane, which is not observed on classical palladium catalysts. Air treatment at... 

Isomerization of cyclohexane in the presence of aluminum trichloride catalyst with continuous removal of the lower boiling methylcyclopentane by distillation results in a 96% yield of the latter (54). The activity of AlCl -HCl catalyst has been determined at several temperatures. At 100°C, the molar ratio of methylcyclopentane to cyclohexane is 0.51 (55). 

Some processes use only one reactor (57) or a combination of liquid- and vapor-phase reactors (58). The goal of these schemes is to reduce energy consumption and capital cost. Hydrogenation normally is carried out at 2—3 MPa (20—30 atm). Temperature is maintained at 300—350°C to meet a typical specification of less than 500 ppm benzene in the product at higher temperatures, thermodynamic equiUbrium shifts to favor benzene and the benzene specification is impossible to attain. Also, at higher temperatures, isomerization of cyclohexane to methylcyclopentane occurs typically there is a 200 ppm specification limit on methylcyclopentane content. 

Finally we mention that aromatic bromides can be debrominated by hydrogen and a metal(o)-in-zeoite system (ref. 33). Over e.g. Cu(0)-Y bromobenzene is converted into benzene whereas over Pt-H-beta (200 °C) quantitative hydrodebromination is followed by hydrogenation and isomerization towards methylcyclopentane (Fig. 12). In this way undesired aromatic bromides can be recycled. 

Gault and coworkers [ 149] have observed that the distribution of products obtained by hydrogenolysis and isomerization of methylcyclopentane was the same as those obtained with hexane. They proposed two competing mechanisms a selective mechanism implying an a, a, p, j0-tetra-adsorbed species and a non-selective mechanism implying coordinated olefin and bis-carbene intermediates (Scheme 38). 

Likewise it is possible to differentiate between substituted and unsubstituted alicycles using inclusion formation with 47 and 48 only the unbranched hydrocarbons are accommodated into the crystal lattices of 47 and 48 (e.g. separation of cyclohexane from methylcyclohexane, or of cyclopentane from methylcyclopentane). This holds also for cycloalkenes (cf. cyclohexene/methylcyclohexene), but not for benzene and its derivatives. Yet, in the latter case no arbitrary number of substituents (methyl groups) and nor any position of the attached substituents at the aromatic nucleus is tolerated on inclusion formation with 46, 47, and 48, dependent on the host molecule (Tables 7 and 8). This opens interesting separation procedures for analytical purposes, for instance the distinction between benzene and toluene or in the field of the isomeric xylenes. 

When the reactions of alkane molecules larger than the butanes or neopentane are studied, and in particular when the molecule is large enough to form a Cs or a Ce ring, the complexity of the reaction pathway is considerably increased and an important feature is the occurrence, in addition to isomerization product, of important amounts of cyclic reaction products, particularly methylcyclopentane, formed by dehydrocycliza-tion this suggests the existence of adsorbed cyclic species. The question is whether the reaction paths for dehydrocyclization and isomerization are related. There is convincing evidence that they are. Skeletal interconversions involving n-hexane, 2- and 3-methylpentane may be represented. 

Isomer Distributions in Initial Products from Hydrogenolysis of Methylcyclopentane and from Isomerization of Hexanes over Platinum Catalysts ... 

Remainder of reaction by isomerization Anderson and Shimoyama (30, 135). n-H = n-hexane 2-MP = 2-methylpentane MCP = methylcyclopentane. 

An example of a parallel-reaction network is the decomposition of cyclohexane, which may undergo dehydrogenation to form benzene and isomerization to form methylcyclopentane, as follows ... 

To account for the exchange and isomerization of a number of poly-methylcyclopentanes, Rooney et al. (3S) postulated that intermediates corresponding to the w-allyl structures written above were not only able to abstract hydrogen from the surface as in the classical mechanism, but also could accept an atom from molecular hydrogen according to an Eley-Rideal mechanism (Fig. 26). 

The subscripts denote as follows H, hydrogenolysis i, isomerization C5, C5 cyclization Ar, aromatization ol, olefin formation. Ring opening products from methylcyclopentane are given under 5j. 

The reaction (equation 76) of the hexenyl radical 47 forming cyclopentyl-methyl radical was discovered independently in several laboratories and has been of pervasive utility in both synthetic and mechanistic studyThe competition between formation of cyclopentylcarbinyl and cyclohexyl radicals favors the former even though the latter is more stable, and this kinetic preference is explained by more favourable transition state interaction. The effects of substituents on the double bond, heteroatoms in the chain, and many other factors on the partitioning between these two paths have been examined. In the gas phase above 300°C, methylcyclopentane has been observed to form cyclohexane via isomerization of cyclopentylmethyl radicals into the more stable cyclohexyl radicals. ... 

Gault et al. noticed in their early papers (757) that the product pattern of methylcyclopentane (MCP) hydrogenolysis is sometimes surprisingly similar to that of hexane or methylpentane(s) isomerizations. They suggested that isomerization proceeded via a cyclic, methylcyclopentane-like intermediate. Later it appeared that the similarity was not always found, but an important idea was already born and, more importantly, was brilliantly confirmed by later papers from the laboratory of Gaults. 

Fig. 10. Selectivities in hexane conversions versus temperature for benzene formation (Be), hydrogenolysis (Hy), methylcyclopentane formation (MCP), isomerization (ISOM), and dehydrocyclization (Dehy) (9 wt. % Pt on inert Si02).

Fig. 1. Reaction composition profile. Reforming at 794 K, 2620 kPa. Zone A dehydrogenation zone zone B isomerization zone zone C hydrogenation and cracking zone. [Charge stock A, hexane (HEX) , benzene (BENZ) V, cyclohexane (CH) O, methylcyclopentane (MCP).]...

For example, in the ring isomerization reaction, methylcyclopentane forms a methylcyclopentene intermediate in its reaction sequence to cyclohexane. The intermediate can also further dehydrogenate to form methylcyclo-pentadiene, a coke precursor. Bakulen et al. (4) states that methylcyclo-pentadiene can undergo a Diels-Alder reaction to form large polynuclear aromatic coke species. Once any olefinic intermediate is formed, it can either go to desired product or dehydrogenate further and polymerize to coke precursors. This results in a selectivity relationship between the desired products and coke formation as shown on the next page. 

The first published report of the isomerization of a saturated hydrocarbon appeared in 1902, when Aschan reported1 that cyclohexane undergoes isomerization to methylcyclopentane with aluminum chloride. Later researchers were, however, unable to repeat this work, and it was not until 1933 that their failures were, as discussed subsequently, explained by Nenitzescu and coworkers.2 3... 

Cyclohexane-methylcyclopentane isomerization21 can be depicted as in Scheme 4.2. The isomerization of substituted cyclopentanes and cyclohexanes to polymethylcyclohexanes similarly occurs by way of a series of consecutive steps... 

Similar isomerization occurs in the presence of silica-alumina-thoria.104 As it might be expected, this reaction is similar to the isomerization of cyclohexane to methylcyclopentane. Both processes involve the same intermediate cyclohexyl car-bocation, which is formed, however, in different reactions. It may be formed from cyclohexane by hydride ion transfer, or by protonation of cyclohexene. Bicyclic alkenes undergo complex interconversions via carbocations over acidic catalysts.105... 

Nickel as well as platinum and palladium are the most important catalysts used in the liquid or gas phase usually in the temperature range of 170-230°C and pressure of 20-40 atm. Since the reaction is highly exothermic [Eq. (11.91)], efficient heat removal is required to ensure favorable equilibrium conditions and prevent isomerization of cyclohexane to methylcyclopentane ... 

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