HYDROGENOLYSIS OF CYCLOPROPANE AND HYDROISOMERIZATION OF 1 - BUTENE OVER ZEOLITE-SUPPORTED Ru//3(CO)//1//2 CATALYSTS.

An investigation of the catalytic properties of Ru//3(CO)//1//2 supported on NaY for the hydrogenolysis of cyclopane and for the hydro-isomerization of 1-butene has been carried out. The catalysts were prepared via vapor impregnation in a partial vacuum. The hydrogenolysis of cyclopropane over NaY-supported Ru//3(CO)//1//2 was found to result in the complete decarbonylation of the carbonyl and also to produce a large amount of sintering of the metal even though the reaction temperature did not exceed 373 K. The zeolite-supported Ru clusters proved to have quite different catalytic properties from Al//2O//3-supported Ru for the hydrogenolysis of cyclopropane to propane and for the hydroisomerization of 1-butene. In addition, these supported-clusters exhibited greater catalyst stability.