Hydrogenolytic cleavage of pyridine on different cobalt-molybdenum and nickel-tungsten catalysts

Abstract

Composition of the reaction products formed by hydrogenation of pyridine at 300 °C and 15 MPa in the presence of 15 sulphided and unsulphided molybdenum and tungsten catalysts promoted by cobalt and by nickel, respectively, using alumina as the support in most cases, has been examined. It has been proved that the catalyst composition affects both its hydrogenation activity and the ratio of transalkylation to cracking (or hydrocracking) reactions. Relations between the catalyst composition and its activity and selectivity found for the reaction of pyridine differ from those reported for hydrogenolytic cleavage of thiophene, hydrogenation and isomerization of cyclohexene.