Selective Hydrogenation of Naphthalene to Produce Tetralin over a Ni/S950 Catalyst under Mild Conditions

Tetralin is an essential chemical that can be generated by the partial hydrogenation of naphthalene. However, it is a challenge to design a catalyst with high efficiency, low-temperature activity, high tetralin selectivity, and a low cost to produce tetralin. A Ni/S950 catalyst with well-dispersed metal particles and high catalytic activity was prepared with an ion-exchange method. A complete conversion of naphthalene and a high tetralin yield of 95.6% were achieved over the Ni/S950 catalyst under 200 °C, 2 h, and 2 MPa H2. Compared with Co/S950 and Cu/S950, both the hydrogenation activity and the selectivity of tetralin over Ni/S950 are much higher due to its well-dispersed Ni particles with a smaller particle size of 6.8 nm and numerous active Ni0 sites.