Immobilized Rh, Ru, Pd and Ni complexes as catalysts in the hydrogenation of cyclohexene

Abstract

Complexes of Rh, Ru, Pd and Ni with tridecylamine and chloride as ligands were prepared and tested as heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrogenation of cyclohexene. The Wilkinson's complex was used as a reference catalyst. Supported complexes turned out to be more active and more resistant to a sulphur poison than the homogeneous systems also evaluated for comparison. The rhodium-tridecylamine complex was the most active, slightly less than the Wilkinson's complex but more sulphur resistant than the latter. XPS and FTIR studies revealed that the complexes kept their chemical identity and remained attached to the support even after the reaction. This suggests that the coordination compounds studied are the catalytically active species or that they are converted to the actual active species during the catalytic process.