On the catalytic dehydrogenation of naphthenes II. Competition experiments and energies of C-H bonds

The rates of dehydrogenation in competition experiments using mixtures of two naphthenes, or a naphthene and a cyclic mono-olefine or two cyclic mono-olefines, have been examined theoretically and experimentally for the stationary state conditions. Provided the two reactants can occupy the same sites on the catalyst surface, then the ratio of the rates should be directly proportional to the ratio of the partial pressures at any instant. Theory suggests that a constant which can be derived from these competition experiments should be independent of the overall pressures, or of the initial ratio of concentrations or of the overall extent of dehydrogenation. Further, the ratio of the rates in competition should bear no simple relationship to the ratio of the individual rates alone, but should be related to the slopes of the 1/rate against 1/pressure plot for the two components considered separately. Moreover, the constant should be a ratio of two functions each of which is characteristic of one of the naphthenes. The theoretical conclusions have been confirmed experimentally which proves either that the groups of active sites on the catalyst surface are widely separated or that any set of sites is available for the reaction of any molecular species, and no interference takes place between naphthene molecules adsorbed on adjacent sites. Proof that a naphthene and cyclohexene are dehydrogenated on the same sites is supplied by the observation that a constant is obtained when different mixtures of cyclohexene andtrans -1:4-dimethyl cyclohexane are allowed to compete for the surface. The ratios for methyl, ethyl, the three dimethyl and the three trimethyl cyclohexanes in competition with cyclohexane have been accurately determined at temperatures of 400 and 450° C. From the constants so derived the activation energy differences for the removal of the first pair of hydrogen atoms has been obtained. These values are discussed in terms of the possible transition complexes, and it is shown that the reaction proceeds by the loss of a pair of hydrogen atoms simultaneously and not by a half-hydrogenated state mechanism. Using these activation energies and the experimentally found overall activation energy of 36 kcal./g. mol., the resonance energy per resonating structure was determined as 1-73 kcal. This is in good agreement with the energies of C-H bonds in alkyl radicals (2-2 kcal./g.mol./ resonating structure). The theoretical treatment suggests that the weakest C-H link in methyl cyclohexane should be in the three position to the methyl group. A study of the activation energies involved shows that the methyl cyclohexene produced from methyl cyclohexane is not 1-methyl-1-cyclohexene, thus confirming the theoretical deduction.