Catalytic hydrocondensation of carbon monoxide with olefins, and the hydropolymerization of the latter under the action of carbon monoxide and hydrogen Communication 38. Transformations of toluene and cycloheptatriene under the conditions of the hydrocondensation reaction

Summary

• 1. In presence of a Co-ThO₂-kieselguhr catalyst at 190° and atmospheric pressure, toluene in admixture with hydrogen undergoes partial hydrogénation into methylcyclohexane and to a small extent is demethylated to benzene; in admixture with carbon monoxide and hydrogen instead of demethylatio, the formation of toluene homologs occurs to an extremely small extent.

• 2. Under the same conditions, cycloheptatriene in admixture with hydrogen is hydrogenated to cyclocloheptane and undergoes hydrogenolysis; in admixture with hydrogen and carbon monoxide it is almost entirely hydrogenated to cycloheptane. In both cases, the irreversible formation of toluene occurs to an extremely small extent. In absence of hydrogen, partial polymerization occurs. The same process occurs also over ThO₂-kieselghur and kieselguhr catalysts. In presence of the latter, large amounts of toluene are formed.

• 3. The hypothesis advanced previously, namely that the formation of cycloheptatriene and toluene from benzene, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen over a Co-ThO₂-kieselguhr catalyst goes as parallel processes, was confirmed.