Synthesis of Ni–W aromatic hydrocarbon hydrogenation catalysts by the ex situ and in situ decomposition of a precursor based on a dendrimer network

Abstract

A Ni–W precursor supported on a dendrimer-containing crosslinked polymer (42 wt % of a third-generation polypropylenimine dendrimer) has been first synthesized. The precursor has been subjected to the ex situ and in situ decomposition in a hydrocarbon feedstock to prepare an unsupported Ni–W sulfide catalyst. The activity of the resulting catalyst in the hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons has been studied using the example of naphthalene. The process has been conducted in an autoclave-type reactor in a temperature range of 350–400°C at a hydrogen pressure of 5.0 MPa. It has been shown that the in situ synthesis of a Ni–W catalyst leads to the formation of particles exhibiting higher activity in the hydrogenation of naphthalene. The in situ synthesized Ni–W particles have been characterized by TEM and XPS.