STYRENE HYDROGENATION ON SUPPORTED PD, FE AND PD-FE GAMMA-AL2O3 CATALYSTS

Bimetallic Pd-Fe/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts with different concentration of palladium and 1 wt.% of iron were prepared via impregnation of Pd/gam ma-Al2O3 catalysts with Fe (NO3)3 solution and compared with correspon ding monometallic Pd and Fe catalysts. The state of the supported comp onents was studied by hydrogen chemisorption, ESR and Mossbauer spectr oscopy; hydrogenation of styrene was also used as a test reaction. The hydrogenation was shown to proceed selectively to ethylbenzene on mon ometallic Pd catalysts and unselectively to the mixture of ethylbenzen e and ethylcyclohexane on the Fe catalysts. Presence of 0.1 wt.% of pa lladium in the Pd-Fe catalysts directed the hydrogenation exclusively to ethylbenzene while selectivity drops again upon increasing Pd loadi ng to 0.3 and 0.5 wt.%. Possible reasons for such a non-trivial effect from the second metal are discussed.