Shape-selective catalysis for synthesis of value-added chemicals from naphthalene and biphenyl

PETR 1

Chunshan Song, csong@psu.edu, Clean Fuels and Catalysis Program, The Energy Institute and Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 209 Academic Projects Building, University Park, State College, PA 16802
Naphthalene and biphenyl represent the structures of bicyclic aromatic compounds in petroleum refinery streams and in coal-derived liquids. This presentation discusses the shape-selective catalysis over modified 12-MR and 10-MR zeolite molecular sieve catalysts for the conversion of polycyclic hydrocarbons, especially two-ring compounds, to value-added chemicals. Selective catalytic synthesis of specialty chemicals using polycyclic compounds are more complex and the use of molecular sieve catalysts can encounter technical challenges and also unique opportunities. Here we will focus on the recent developments in the following catalytic reactions over large-pore zeolite catalysts: (1) shape-selective alkylation of naphthalene for synthesizing 2,6-dialkylnaphthalene; (2) shape-selective alkylation of biphenyl for synthesizing 4,4'-dialkylbiphenyl; (3) ring-shift isomerization of phenanthrene derivatives to anthracene derivatives; (4) conformational isomerization of cis-decahydronaphthalene into trans-decahydronaphthalene; (5) shape-selective hydrogenation of naphthalene into either cis- or trans-decalin, and (6) regio-selective hydrogenation of 1-naphthol and quinoline for synthesizing specialty fuel additives. More background information can be found in some recent reviews [C.S. Song, Am. Chem. Soc. Symp. Ser. 2000; Catalysis RSC, 2002; Cattech, 2002]. The products of such selective reactions are intermediates for making specialty chemicals, monomers of advanced polymer materials such as high-performance polyesters (including polyethylene naphthalate) and liquid crystalline polymers, and components of advanced thermally stable aviation jet fuels for high-Mach aircraft.