Nickel-impregnated zirconium-doped mesoporous molecular sieves as catalysts for the hydrogenation and ring-opening of tetralin

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Catalysts based on nickel supported on zirconium-doped mesoporous silica, with nickel loadings of 15 and 30 wt.%, have been prepared, characterized and tested in the hydrogenation of tetralin at high hydrogen pressures (6.0 MPa). The zirconium-doped mesoporous silica, used as support, is revealed as appropriate for attaining a high loading of metallic nickel with a suitable degree of dispersion, although the large metallic particles are located on the external surface of the support. These catalysts are very active in the hydrogenation of tetralin at 350 °C, specially that with the highest nickel content, with no deactivation by coke deposition. Concomitantly, the mild acidic nature of these catalysts favor the ring-opening of the tetralin molecules, up to 28% of cracking products at moderate temperatures are detected and the amount of volatile compounds is almost negligible under these experimental conditions.