CRACKING AND HYDROGENATION OF 4-(1-NAPHTHYLMETHYL)BIBENZYL (NBBM) OVER A SERIES OF TRANSITION-METAL CATALYSTS AND CATALYST PRECURSORS

The catalytic chemistry of NBBM was examined in the presence of variou s transition metal-based catalysts and catalyst precursors. Fe(CO)(5), Mo(CO)(6), Fe2O3, and MoS2 all showed significant activity for the di sappearance of NBBM above the thermal baseline at 400 degrees C; Mn-2( CO)(10) was considerably less active. The main reactions mere ''bond A '' scission and naphthyl hydrogenation. This series of materials had t he interesting feature that-as the overall activity for bond A scissio n increased, the overall activity for naphthyl hydrogenation decreased .