Preparation of a new solid acid and its catalytic performance in di(1-naphthyl)methane hydrocracking

A new solid acid was prepared by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMSA) impregnation into an acid-treated attapulgite (ATA). Di(1-naphthyl)methane (DNM) hydrocracking was used as the probe reaction to evaluate the catalytic performance of TFMSA/ATA for cleaving C ar –C alk bridged bonds in coals. The results show that DNM was specifically hydrocracked to naphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene over TFMSA/ATA in methanol in the absence of gaseous hydrogen. In particular, TFMSA/ATA was demonstrated to be stable after four cycles with slight loss in catalytic activity. Furthermore, a proposed H + transfer mechanism successfully interprets the TFMSA/ATA-catalyzed hydrocracking reaction of DNM.