HYDROTREATMENT OF 8-HYDROXYQUINOLINE ON A NIMO/AL2O3 CATALYST

The hydrotreatment of 8-hydroxyquinoline was studied on a sulfided NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst at 360-degrees-C and 6.9 MPa total pressure of H-2 in a vapor-phase tubular reactor. Some minor studies were performed at 385-degrees-C. 8-Hydroxyquinoline undergoes hydrodeoxygenation via three routes to enter the hydrodenitrogenation network of quinoline. Route 1 is hydrogenation of the heterocyclic ring to 8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (8HTHQ) followed by hydrogenation of the aromatic ring to 8-hydroxydecahydroquinoline which undergoes C-O hydrogenolysis to decahydroquinoline. Route 2 is direct C-O hydrogenolysis of 8HTHQ to form 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (PyTHQ). Route 3 is hydrogenation of the benzene ring in 8-hydroxyquinoline to form 8-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline followed by removal of the oxygen to form 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline. After oxygen removal, subsequent reactions follow the hydrodenitrogenation network of quinoline. The hydroconversion of 8-hydroxyquinoline is governed by the N center rather than the OH center.