Kinetic study of the hydrogenolysis of polychlorobenzenes over a Pd/C catalyst in an alkaline aqueous-n-hexane system

The kinetics of the hydrogenolysis of chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzenes and some trichlorobenzenes over a 10% Pd/C catalyst was studied using a multiphase system. The reactions were carried out in a batch reactor with an aqueous NaOH/n-hexane solution of chloroaromatic compound as the liquid phase. Benzene was the final product of the hydrogenolysis of all the compounds studied. Hydrogenolysis was more effective in the presence of in situ generated hydrogen than gaseous hydrogen. The initial reaction rates and TOFs of dichlorobenzenes and trichlorobenzenes were slightly lower than those of chlorobenzene. The position of the chlorine atoms in trichlorobenzenes affects the kinetics of the removal of the first chlorine from these molecules. The differences in chlorine reactivity were explained by the inductive and steric effects induced by the benzene-Cl bonds.