Effect of doping with nickel and copper on catalytic behaviour of wide-pore zeolites with different pore structures

The catalytic properties of wide-pore zeolites, namely Ni- and Cu-doped faujastie H-Y and H-mordenite (H-M) are compared on the example of conversion of n-hexane. After thermal pretreatment of ion-exchanged zeolites, reduction with hydrogen (P ≤ 40 bar) leads to a large number of metallic clusters and crystallites as well as ionic species in the zeolites. Notwithstanding this variety, the different types of catalysts can be divided into three classes: classical bifunctional catalysts (for example NiHM, NiHY) with ion exchange degrees > 30%, monofunctional catalysts, such as CuHM and CuHY with high copper contents (ion exchange degree > 40%) and metal-doped (Ni and Cu) zeolites which, depending on the conditions of pretreatment, act as bifunctional and/or monofunctional compounds and, therefore, show very unstable reaction behaviour. In addition to the extent of reduction, the cation distribution affects the activity and deactivation behaviour and, to a lesser extent, the product selectivity. The reaction mechanism of bifunctional catalysis is similar to that observed in platinum-doped catalysts, while the mechanism of monofunctional catalysis resembles the process on undoped zeolites.