Nickel-impregnated zirconium-doped mesoporous molecular sieves as catalysts for the hydrogenation and ring-opening of tetralin

Catalysts based on nickel supported on zirconium-doped mesoporous silica, with nickel loadings of 15 and 30 wt.%, have been prepared, characterized and tested in the hydrogenation of tetralin at high hydrogen pressures (6.0 MPa). The zirconium-doped mesoporous silica, used as support, is revealed as appropriate for attaining a high loading of metallic nickel with a suitable degree of dispersion, although the large metallic particles are located on the external surface of the support: These catalysts are very active in the hydrogenation of tetralin at 350degreesC, specially that with the highest nickel content, with no deactivation by coke deposition. Concomitantly, the mild acidic nature of these catalysts favor the ring-opening of the tetralin molecules, up to 28% of cracking products at moderate temperatures are detected and the amount of volatile compounds is almost negligible under these experimental conditions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.