Solvent‐Reactant‐Support interactions in liquid phase hydrogenation

Abstract

Abstract The effect of mixed solvents and catalyst support on the rate and selectivity of Ru‐catalyzed liquid phase hydrogenations has been studied. Experiments in 1‐propanol/water mixtures with Ru/C showed the adsorption of reactants on the catalyst and the reaction rate to vary with the composition of the solvent system. The influence of the support, in combination with the solvent surrounding the catalytic metal, on the selectivity in the competitive hydrogenation of cyclohexanone and cyclohexene has been studied using hydrophilic and hydrophobic supports in water/hydrocarbon mixtures. The results demonstrate the importance of both solvent‐support interactions and partition of the reactant between bulk solvent and adsorbed solvent.