Hydrocracking of Fluorene over a Sulfided Ni-Mo/Al₂0₃ Catalyst

Abstract

The selectivity of ring opening was investigated for the hydrocracking of fluorene under an initial hydrogen pressure of 6 MPa and in the temperature range from 390 to 450 °C. Major products were classified into the following five components: hydrogenated fluorene, biphenyl derivatives, diphenylmethane derivatives, naphthalene derivatives and monocyclic compounds. Ring opening of fluorene proceeded via three routes: the direct ring opening of fluorene to produce 2-methylbiphenyl, ring opening of hexahydrofluorene to produce cyclohexylphenylmethane and ring opening of isomerized products of hexahydrofluorene to produce naphthalene derivatives.