Selective ring opening of phenanthrene over NiW-supported mesoporous HY zeolite catalyst depending on their mesoporosity

Abstract Selective ring opening of multi-ring aromatics is a potential route for the production of valuable middle distillates from heavy oil, but a bi-functional (acidic and metallic) catalyst is required. We report here the use of mesoporous HY zeolites with variation of their mesoporosity to overcome diffusion resistance for bulky aromatics. NiW was impregnated on acidic zeolites for the metallic function of the bi-functional catalyst. To investigate the mesoporosity effect on selective ring opening, phenanthrene was selected as a model compound for multi-ring aromatics, and its reaction was conducted in a batch reactor. The introduction of moderate mesoporosity into an HY zeolite resulted in a noticeable effect on the yields of desirable mono-ring aromatics due to the easier accessibility of bulky reactants into the inner active sites of the zeolite. The mesoporosity of the catalyst seems to play an important role in the selective ring opening of phenanthrene but the optimum level should be determined.