Hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline over carbon-supported transition metal sulfides

Transition metal sulfide (TMS) catalysts were prepared by impregnation of an activated carbon support with aqueous solutions of first-, second-, and third-row (group V-VIII) transition metal salts, drying and in situ sulfidation. The catalysts were tested in the hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline (653 K, 5.5 MPa) in microautoclaves and microflow reactors. The first-row transition metal sulfides had low quinoline conversions to hydrocarbons, and their periodic trend formed a U-shaped curve with a minimum at Mn/C and Fe/C and maxima at V/C and Ni/C. The quinoline conversions to hydrocarbons of the second- and third-row TMS formed volcano curves with maxima at Rh/C and Ir/C and with Mo/C and W/C having the lowest conversions. The transition metal sulfide catalysts with a low quinoline hydrogenation (first-row transition metal sulfides, Mo/C and W/C) also had a low quinoline conversion to hydrocarbons. The transition metal sulfides with the highest quinoline conversions to hydrocarbons (Rh/C, Pd/C, Os/C, INC and Pt/C) had a very high quinoline hydrogenation and a high selectivity for propylcyclohexane. Ru/C and especially Re/C had a good quinoline conversion to hydrocarbons, but also an exceptionally high selectivity for propylbenzene