Selective hydrogenation of 1,5,9-cyclo-dodecatriene towards cyclo-dodecene

A cyclo-dodecene yield ≥90% can be attained in liquid phase hydrogenation of 1,5,9-cis,trans,trans-cyclo-dodecatriene on Pd catalysts of eggshell type if the hydrogen concentration is kept at a low level. Ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations of the molecular structures of cyclododecadienes have pointed at the crucial role of both cyclododecadienes and hydrogen adsorption on nanostructured surfaces of palladium.