Activity of cobalt sulfide catalysts in the hydrogenolysis of dimethyl disulfide to methanethiol: Effects of the nature of a support and the procedure of supporting a cobalt precursor

The conversion of dimethyl disulfide to methanethiol on various catalysts containing supported cobalt sulfide in an atmosphere of hydrogen was studied at atmospheric pressure and T = 190°C. On CoS introduced into the channels of zeolite HSZM-5, the process occurred at a high rate but with a low selectivity for methanethiol because the proton centers of the support participated in a side reaction with the formation of dimethyl sulfide and hydrogen sulfide. Under the action of sulfide catalysts supported onto a carbon support, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and an amorphous aluminosilicate, the decomposition of dimethyl disulfide to methanethiol occurred with 95–100% selectivity. The CoS/Al₂O₃ catalysts were found to be most efficient. The specific activity of alumina-cobalt sulfide catalysts only slightly depended on the phase composition and specific surface area of Al₂O₃. The conditions of the thermal treatment and sulfurization of catalysts and, particularly, the procedure of supporting a cobalt precursor onto the support were of key importance. Catalysts prepared through the stage of supporting nanodispersed cobalt hydroxide were much more active than the catalysts based on supported cobalt salts.     

Hydrogenolysis of Dimethyl Disulfide to Methanethiol in the Presence of Cobalt Sulfide Catalysts

The hydrogenolysis of dimethyl disulfide to methanethiol at T = 180–260°C and atmospheric pressure in the presence of supported cobalt sulfide catalysts has been studied. Cobalt sulfide on aluminum oxide exhibits a higher activity than that on a carbon support or silicon dioxide. The maximum reaction rate per gram of a catalyst is observed on an 8% Co/Al₂O₃ catalyst. At temperatures of up to 200°C and conversions up to 90%, methanethiol is formed with nearly 100% selectivity regardless of the cobalt content, whereas the selectivity for methanethiol under more severe conditions decreases because of its condensation to dimethyl sulfide.     

Conversion of dimethyl disulfide in the presence of zeolites

Dimethyl disulfide conversion in the presence of zeolites was studied at atmospheric pressure and T = 190–350°C. For all catalysts, the products of the reaction at T = 190°C—methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide—result directly from dimethyl disulfide. The relative reaction rate and the dimethyl sulfide selectivity decreases in the order HZSM-5 ≥ CoHZSM-5 > HNaY > NaX, NaY. The methanethiol formation selectivity changes in the reverse order. The highest methanethiol selectivity at T = 190°C is shown by the sodium zeolites; the highest dimethyl sulfide selectivity, by the high-silicz zeolite HZSM-5. Raising the reaction temperature increases the reaction rate and changes the process route: at high temperatures, dimethyl disulfide decomposes to methanethiol, which then condenses to yield dimethyl sulfide and hydrogen sulfide. The observed regularities are explained in terms of the different acidic properties of the zeolite surfaces.     

Hydrogenolysis of dimethyl disulfide in the presence of bimetallic sulfide catalysts

The hydrogenolysis of dimethyl disulfide in the presence of Ni,Mo and Co,Mo bimetallic sulfide catalysts was studied at atmospheric pressure and T = 160–400°C. At T ≤ 200°C, dimethyl disulfide undergoes hydrogenolysis at the S-S bond, yielding methanethiol in 95–100% yield. The selectivity of the reaction decreases with increasing residence time and temperature due to methanethiol undergoing condensation to dimethyl disulfide and hydrogenolysis at the C-S bond to yield methane and hydrogen sulfide. The specific activity of the Co,Mo/Al₂O₃ catalyst in hydrogenolysis at the S-S and C-S bonds is equal to or lower than the total activity of the monometallic catalysts. The Ni,Mo/Al₂O₃ catalyst is twice as active as the Ni/Al₂O₃ + Mo/Al₂O₃ or the cobalt-molybdenum bimetallic catalyst.     

Activity of catalysts in the synthesis of dimethyl sulfide from dimethyl disulfide

Dimethyl disulfide conversion at T = 190–350°C over catalysts containing acid and basic sites is reported. The products of this reaction are dimethyl sulfide, methanethiol, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, methane, and ethylene. At 190°C, these products form via parallel reactions. At higher temperature of up to 350°C, dimethyl sulfide can form by the condensation of the resulting methanethiol. The strong basic sites of the catalysts are uninvolved in dimethyl sulfide formation. Over catalysts whose surface has only strong protonic or strong Lewis acid sites, dimethyl sulfide formation does take place, but slowly and nonselectively. The highest dimethyl sulfide formation activity and selectivity are shown by catalysts having medium-strength basic sites along with strong protonic and strong Lewis acid sites.     

Thiophene Hydrogenation to Tetrahydrothiophene over Tungsten Sulfide Catalysts

Independent reactions of thiophene reduction to tetrahydrothiophene and thiophene hydrogenolysis to form hydrogen sulfide and C₄ hydrocarbons are shown to occur over supported tungsten sulfide catalysts and unsupported tungsten sulfide at an elevated temperature and a high pressure. The highest rate of tetrahydrothiophene formation over the supported catalysts is observed when alumina was used as a support, and the lowest reaction rate is found when silica gel was used as a support. Both catalysts are less active than unsupported tungsten disulfide. The rate of thiophene hydrogenation over tungsten disulfide increases with increasing thiophene concentration and hydrogen pressure and is inhibited by tetrahydrothiophene. The selectivity to tetrahydrothiophene is constant (70–90%) in the whole range up to high thiophene conversions. The high selectivity over tungsten sulfide catalysts is suggested to be due to the reaction pathway through thiophene protonation mediated with the surface SH groups and to the inhibition of hydrogenolysis.     

Gas-Phase Thiophene Hydrogenation to Tetrahydrothiophene over Sulfide Catalysts

Thiophene hydrogenation to tetrahydrothiophene over supported transition metal sulfides is studied. Comparison of the atomic catalytic activity at T = 240°C and P = 2 MPa showed that aluminosilicate-supported PdS is one to two orders of magnitude more active than Rh, Ru, Mo, W, Re, Co, and Ni sulfides on various supports. These metal sulfides are arranged in the following series according to the rate of tetrahydrothiophene formation: Pd Mo > Rh Ru > Re > W > Co > Ni. The reaction over sulfide catalysts is assumed to occur through thiophene activation on proton centers and coordinatively unsaturated cations of metal sulfides and additionally on the proton centers of support in the case of palladium catalysts.     

Catalytic conversions of dialkyl disulfides

The results of the studies of catalytic conversions of lower dialkyl disulfides performed at the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis (Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences) are summarized. The selective hydrogenolysis of dimethyl and diethyl disulfides with the formation of alkanethiols occurs in a hydrogen medium on transition metal sulfides. Dimethyl disulfide turns into dimethyl sulfide in an inert gas medium on oxide catalysts with acid and basic sites on their surface. Lower dialkyl disulfides are dehydrocyclized to thiophene under the action of sulfide catalysts. In an oxygen medium on the metal oxides and salts, diethyl disulfide and a lower disulfide concentrate are selectively oxidized to form alkanethiolsulfinates, alkanethiolsulfonates, and alkanesulfonic acids.     

Immobilization of MoO2Cl2 on polystyrene via different linkers and oxidation of sulfides in the presence of hydrogen peroxide

Chloromethylated polystyrene was oxidized to aldehydic polystyrene and by reaction of this aldehydic polystyrene resin with furfuryl amine and 2-(amino methyl) pyridine, imine-bounded polystyrene resins 1a and 1b were obtained. Amine-bounded polystyrene resins 1c?C1f were also prepared by direct reaction of chloromethylated polystyrene and amines. These functionalized polystyrene resins were used to immobilize MoO₂Cl₂ on polystyrene. These functionalized polystyrene resins were characterized with elemental analysis (CHN) and FT-IR spectrum. Polymer-supported catalysts were characterized with FT-IR and neutron activation analysis (NAA). These catalysts were used in oxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide in the presence of H₂O₂ as oxidant and the results showed that these catalysts were highly active and selective. The reusability of these heterogeneous catalysts was also investigated and the results showed that the supported MoO₂Cl₂ catalyst on polystyrene via imidazole liker was highly reusable as it was used 15 times in oxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide in the presence of environmental benign oxidant (H₂O₂) and solvent (H₂O) without any decrease in its activity. Then the catalytic activity of these supported catalysts was investigated in oxidation of some aliphatic and aromatic sulfides. Almost all of these supported molybdenum-based catalysts were highly active and selective in the conversion of these sulfides to their corresponding sulfoxides.     

Hydrogenating Activity and Adsorption Capacity of Supported Nickel Catalysts Modified by Heteropoly Compounds

The catalytic activity, adsorption capacity, and pore structure of low-percentage nickel catalysts supported on -Al₂O₃or activated carbon and modified by tungsten heteropoly compounds are studied. The activity, selectivity, and thermal stability of the catalysts in the vapor-phase hydrogenation of olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons are higher than those for conventional nickel catalysts. The concentration of nickel in the catalysts is 10–15 times lower than that in commercial catalysts. However, the modified catalysts have higher specific surface areas of metal, higher dispersion, a uniform distribution of metal particles, and a pore-radius distribution other than in the support. The study of water adsorption and desorption showed that the heteropoly compound modifying the -Al₂O₃support covers the support surface completely, and supported nickel interacts with the active surface of the modifying agent rather than with Al₂O₃. A hydrogenation mechanism is proposed, which involves H₂dissociation on Ni particles and the subsequent diffusion of hydrogen atoms via a spillover mechanism to the adsorbed organic compound with the participation of the OH groups of the modifying agent.     

Catalytic synthesis of dialkyl sulfides from dialkyl disulfides

Dialkyl disulfides R₂S₂ where R = Me, Et, or Pr, both as individual compounds and as their mixtures, isolated from petroleum products can turn into alkanethiols and dialkyl sulfides under the action of catalysts having strong acid sites and medium-strength basic sites on their surface. In a helium atmosphere, the main conversion products are alkanethiols, while dialkyl sulfides form in low yield at a selectivity of no higher than 20%. A much higher dialkyl sulfide selectivity is attained in the reaction involving methanol. The most efficient catalyst for this reaction is alumina, with which the dialkyl sulfide selectivity is up to 99%.     

Dimethyl disulfide conversion into dimethyl sulfide in the presence of sulfidized catalysts

The conversion of dimethyl disulfide in the presence of various supported sulfidized metal-containing catalysts at atmospheric pressure and T = 150−350°C was studied. Sulfidized transition metals supported onto aluminum oxide were more active than catalysts based on a carbon support, silicon dioxide, amorphous aluminosilicate, and zeolite ZSM-5. The most active catalyst was 10% Co/Al₂O₃ prepared with the use of cobalt acetate as an active component precursor and treated with a mixture of hydrogen sulfide with hydrogen at T = 400°C. From kinetic data, it follows that all of the reaction products were formed simultaneously at a temperature of <200°C, whereas a consecutive reaction scheme took place at higher temperatures. In the presence of a sulfidized alumina-cobalt catalyst, the output of dimethyl sulfide was higher than that reached with the use of other well-known catalysts.     

Determination of flavone C-glucosides in antioxidant of bamboo leaves (AOB) fortified foods by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet diode array detection

A sensitive solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-pulsed flame photometric detection technique was developed to quantify volatile sulfur compounds in wine. Eleven sulfur compounds, including hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, ethanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, diethyl sulfide, methyl thioacetate, dimethyl disulfide, ethyl thioacetate, diethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide and methionol, can be quantified simultaneously by employing three internal standards. Calibration curves were established in a synthetic wine, and linear correlation coefficients (R2) were greater than 0.99 for all target compounds. The quantification limits for most volatile sulfur compounds were 0.5 ppb or lower, except for methionol which had a detection limit of 60 ppb. The recovery was studied in synthetic wine as well as Pinot noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay wines. Although the sulfur compounds behaved differently depending on the wine matrix, recoveries of greater than 80% were achieved for all sulfur compounds. This technique was applied to analyze volatile sulfur compounds in several commercial wine samples; methionol concentrations were found at the ppm level, while the concentrations for hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, and methyl thioacetate were at ppb levels. Only trace amounts of disulfides and trisulfides were detected, and ethanethiol was not detected.     

The influence of activated carbon on the thermal decomposition of sodium ethyl xanthate

The thermal decomposition of SEX in a nitrogen atmosphere was studied by coupled thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR), and by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS). The TG curve exhibited two discrete mass losses of 45.8% and 17.8% respectively, at 200 and 257–364°C. The evolved gases identified as a result of the first mass loss were carbonyl sulfide (COS), ethanol (C₂H₅OH), ethanethiol (C₂H₅SH), carbon disulfide (CS₂), diethyl sulfide ((C₂H₅)₂S), diethyl carbonate ((C₂H₅O)₂CO), diethyl disulfide ((C₂H₅)₂S₂), and carbonothioic acid, O, S, diethyl ester ((C₂H₅S)(C₂H₅O)CO). The gases identified as a result of the second mass loss were carbonyl sulfide, ethanethiol, and carbon disulfide. Hydrogen sulfide was detected in both mass losses by py-GC-MS, but not detected by FTIR. The solid residue was sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaSH).SEX was adsorbed onto activated carbon, and heated in nitrogen. Two discrete mass losses were still observed, but in the temperature ranges 100–186°C (7.8%) and 186–279°C (11.8%). Carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide were now the dominant gases evolved in each of the mass losses, and the other gaseous products were relatively minor. It was demonstrated that water adsorbed on the carbon hydrolysed the xanthate to cause the first mass loss, and any unhydrolysed material decomposed to give the second mass loss.Mr. N. G. Fisher would like to thank the A. J. Parker CRC for Hydrometallurgy for the provision of a PhD scholarship.     

Microwave-induced generation and reactions of nitrile sulfides: an improved method for the synthesis of isothiazoles and 1,2,4-thiadiazoles

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of nitrile sulfides, generated by microwave-assisted decarboxylation of 1,3,4-oxathiazol-2-ones, have been investigated. By this approach ethyl 1,2,4-thiadiazole-5-carboxylates 3 were prepared in good yield by cycloaddition of the nitrile sulfides to ethyl cyanoformate. Similarly, reaction of benzonitrile sulfide with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) afforded dimethyl 3-phenylisothiazole-4,5-dicarboxylate (5). In contrast, o-hydroxybenzonitrile sulfide, generated from the corresponding oxathiazolone 2d, reacted with DMAD to give methyl 4-oxo-4H-[1]benzopyrano[4,3-c]isothiazole-3-carboxylate (8) in high yield. A ca. 1:1 mixture of ethyl 3-phenylisothiazole-4- and 5-carboxylates (6,7) was formed from benzonitrile sulfide and ethyl propiolate. The corresponding reaction with diethyl fumarate gave diethyl trans-4,5-dihydro-3-phenylisothiazole-4,5-dicarboylate (10). 3-Arylisothiazoles, unsubstituted at both the 4- and 5-positions, were prepared from the reaction of 5-aryl-1,3,4-oxathiazolones with norbornadiene by a pathway involving cycloaddition of the nitrile sulfide to the norbornadiene, followed by retro-Diels-Alder extrusion of cyclopentadiene from the resulting isothiazoline cycloadduct 12. In summary, the use of microwave irradiation, rather than conventional heating methods, allows nitrile sulfide generation and reactions to be carried out in shorter times, with easier work-up and, in some cases, in higher yields.     

Effect of the Support in de-NOx HC-SCR Over Transition Metal Catalysts

Several catalysts based on transition metals (Cu, Co, Fe) and different supports (ZSM-5, activated carbon, Al₂O₃) have been tested by Temperature-Programmed Reaction (TPR) experiments for the selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with propene in the presence of excess oxygen, simulating lean-burn conditions. The activity order with respect to the metal was CuFe>Co for all supports used. ZSM-5 catalysts have a superior behavior over Al₂O₃, as observed for noble metal catalysts. Application of activated carbon as a support is not practical due to its consumption at the reaction temperatures. The selectivity to N₂ of the catalysts was also independent of the support, being higher than 95% in all the cases.     

Hydroisomerization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">cis</Emphasis>-Stilbene into <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis>-Stilbene on Supported Heterogeneous Metal Catalysts (Rh,Pd, Pt,Ru, Ir/α-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>)

The hydroisomerization of a cis-isomer to produce a trans-isomer on Rh, Pd, Pt, Ru, and Ir/α-Al₂O₃ catalysts is studied. It is shown that Rh and Ru catalysts on which the hydroisomerization reaction mostly takes place exhibit the most favorable characteristics, whereas on the other metals, the main route is the hydrogenation reaction. Rh/α-Al₂O₃ is the optimum catalyst, since it has much higher activity than Ru/α-Al₂O₃. It is found that the increased selectivity of the trans-isomer formation is facilitated by a decrease in the hydrogen pressure and by an increase in the substrate concentration. The maximum selectivity is achieved when the reaction is carried out in nonpolar n-hexane and toluene, whereas in the case of the more polar tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide (DMFA), and methanol both the reaction rate and the selectivity of the trans-isomer formation decline.     

A Plasma-Activated Ni/α-Al2O3 Catalyst for the Conversion of CH4 to Syngas

Nickel-based catalysts supported on -Al₂O₃ for the partial oxidationof methane were activated by a glow discharge plasma technique. Theactivating process was simple, quick, audio-visual, and easy to control. Theactivity and stability of the activated catalyst were higher than those ofconventional catalysts. The methane conversion of 98.2% and selectivity of97.3% to hydrogen and 96.5% to carbon monoxide were obtained at850°C. The catalyst could maintain its activity over 15 hr. According tothe results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature-programmed reduction(TPR), the component of crystal phase and the reducibility of the activatedcatalyst were significantly different from those of conventionalcatalysts.     

Transferable potentials for phase equilibria. 8. United-atom description for thiols, sulfides, disulfides, and thiophene

An extension of the transferable potentials for phase equilibria united-atom (TraPPE-UA) force field to thiol, sulfide, and disulfide functionalities and thiophene is presented. In the TraPPE-UA force field, nonbonded interactions are governed by a Lennard-Jones plus fixed point charge functional form. Partial charges are determined through a CHELPG analysis of electrostatic potential energy surfaces derived from ab initio calculations at the HF/6-31g+(d,p) level. The Lennard-Jones well depth and size parameters for four new interaction sites, S (thiols), S(sulfides), S(disulfides), and S(thiophene), were determined by fitting simulation data to pure-component vapor-equilibrium data for methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and thiophene, respectively. Configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations in the grand canonical ensemble combined with histogram-reweighting methods were used to calculate the vapor-liquid coexistence curves for methanethiol, ethanethiol, 2-methyl-1-propanethiol, 2-methyl-2-propanethiol, 2-butanethiol, pentanethiol, octanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, diethyl sulfide, ethylmethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, diethyl disulfide, and thiophene. Excellent agreement with experiment is achieved, with unsigned errors of less than 1% for saturated liquid densities and less than 3% for critical temperatures. The normal boiling points were predicted to within 1% of experiment in most cases, although for certain molecules (pentanethiol) deviations as large as 5% were found. Additional calculations were performed to determine the pressure-composition behavior of ethanethiol+n-butane at 373.15 K and the temperature-composition behavior of 1-propanethiol+n-hexane at 1.01 bar. In each case, a good reproduction of experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium separation factors is achieved; both of the coexistence curves are somewhat shifted because of overprediction of the pure-component vapor pressures.     

Catalytic reaction of diethyl disulfide with methanol

Diethyl disulfide reacted with methanol in the presence of solid acid catalysts at 250–350°C to give dimethyl, ethyl methyl, and diethyl sulfides. The most active catalysts were those containing simultaneously moderate basic sites, strong Lewis acid sites, and some amount of strong protonic acid sites. These catalysts ensured a total selectivity of 99% for dialkyl sulfides.