Cyclohexene hydrogenation using Group VIII metal complexes as catalysts inheterogeneous and homogeneous conditions

The stability and catalytic behaviour of a ruthenium complex with chloride and tridecylamine as ligands were studied. The hydrogenation of cyclohexene carried out in mild conditions, both in homogeneous and heterogeneous cond itions, was used as a test reaction. FTIR and XPS results show that the act ive species is the complex itself, which is stable under the reaction condi tions. XPS determination shows that the ruthenium complex is tetra-coordina ted, suggesting that its formula is [RuCl2(NH2(CH2)(12)CH3)(2)]. This ruthe nium complex supported on gamma -Al2O3 is more active and sulfur-resistant than the same complex unsupported and even more than a nickel complex with the above mentioned ligands. The Ru complex, supported or not, is also more active and sulfur-resistant than a conventional Ru/gamma -Al2O3 catalyst e valuated in the same operational conditions. (C) 2001 Society of Chemical I ndustry.