Molecular catalytic coal liquid conversion. Quarterly report, [October--December 1994]

In this Quarter, the research was focused on the two general tasks: Task 1, molecular organometallic catalysts and the Task 2, organic base-catalyzed arene hydrogenation and hydrotreating of the coal liquids. With regards to Task 1, a biphase catalyst system, [1.5-HDRhC1]2/Buffer, was investigated for the hydrogenation of tetralin to decalin under the condition of atmosphere H2 and room temperature. The primary results indicate that tetralin was hydrogenated to decalin in more that 91% yield when only 0.5 mole% of catalyst was used. The major product was trans decalin and the cis/trans isomer ratio is 4-6: 1. The reaction was influenced by variety of the reaction conditions such as solvents used, the organic phase/aqueous phase ratio, etc. Task 2 was focused on the Catalyst 2-catalyst hydrogenation of other polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons and on the hydrotreating of the coal liquids catalyzed by Catalyst 2 system under the similar conditions. Besides naphthalene as described in the last Quarter`s report, other polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons such as anthracene, acridine as well as 1-methoxynaphthalene were hydrogenated in good yields. Coal liquids can be hydrogenated catalyzed by Catalyst 2 include monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons