Activity of palladium sulfide catalysts in the reaction of gas-phase hydrogenation of 2-methylthiophene

In the interaction of hydrogen with 2-methylthiophene in the gas phase over palladium sulfide catalysts at 180–260?C and 0.1–0.8 MPa, the saturation of the thiophene ring resulting in 2-methylthiolane and the hydrogenolysis of 2-methylthiophene occurs. When the conversion is lower than 60%, these reactions occur independently; at higher conversions, methylthiolane also undergoes hydrogenolysis. The specific catalytic activity of PdS supported on γ-Al₂O₃, TiO₂, and carbon and without support is much lower in the hydrogenation of 2-methylthiophene than the activity of PdS supported on SiO₂, aluminosilicate, and zeolite HNaY having strong Brönsted acid surface sites.