Zum Mechanismus der Hydrogenolyse aromatisch gebundenen Halogens

The selective chlorination of a m/p-xylene mixture, followed by distillation of the unreacted p-xylene, leaves a residue containing up to 90% of monochlorinated m-xylenes. m-Xylene is recovered from the latter by heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenolysis in the gas-phase. It was found that the hydrogenolysis on certain noble metal catalysts proceeds according to an ionic reaction mechanism at temperatures below a definite temperature range. At temperatures above this range hydrogenolysis follows a radical reaction mechanism.