Palladium catalysts for selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol were studied. Properties of the catalytic systems prepared using different supports (alumina and hypercrosslinked polystyrene) and different precursors (palladium chloride and palladium chloride bisacetonitrile) were compared. The natures of the support and precursor were demonstrated to affect considerably the catalyst morphology and activity to the selective hydrogenation of furfural. The furfural conversion in the presence of the most effective catalyst 3% Pd/MN270 (PdCl₂) reached more than 95 % at the selectivity for furfuryl alcohol as high as 94 %.

The influence of diffusion limitations on the Fischer – Tropsch synthesis of long-chain hydrocarbons over a cobalt-silica catalyst was studied at 1.5 and 2.0 MPa depending on the grain composition (0.4–6.0 mm), gas flow rate (100–1000 h^–1), and composition of synthesis gas (H₂/CO = 1, 2, 5). It was shown that the selectivity and the production of C₃₅₊ hydrocarbons (waxes), as well as the probability α of the hydrocarbon chain growth increased under conditions of mass limitation. Variations in the apparent activation energy at 179–225 °C were used to estimate the influence of diffusion limitations depending on the syngas composition. In the high-temperature region, an increase in the hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio from 1 to 5 resulted in a decrease in the apparent activation energy from 97.1 kJ/mol to 67.0–82.9 kJ/mol.

The review paper deals with analysis of modern approaches to utilization of hydrocarbon gases (by-product of extraction of oil and shale oil) as well rich gas which are most often burnt in flares at the production fields.

Heavy oils are more than 70 % of the world proven oil reserves that makes it an urgent problem of modern refinery to improve the efficiency and oil conversion ratio. Cobalt powders and one-stage prepared cobalt-based catalysts were first tested for tar cracking at the Novokuibyshevsk Refinery Plant. XRD, SEM and TPR techniques were used for studying the compositions and properties of the prepared samples. It was shown that the cobalt surface contained oxygen in the form of layer-by-layer stacked Co₃O₄ and CoO; the mechanical activation of the catalysts resulted in redistribution of the oxide quantities and in changes in the composition of tar cracking products. The mechanoactivated cobalt was more active to tar cracking than the initial powder. The yield of light fractions was 70 % in the presence of the mechanoactivated cobalt that was 10 wt % higher than with non-activated cobalt and 25 % higher than in the absence of cobalt.

The influence of aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene) on isomerization of n-heptane over Pt/MOR/Al₂O₃ and Pt/WO₃/ZrO₂ catalysts was studied. The presence of aromatic hydrocarbons was shown leads to the necessary temperature elevation by 20–30 °C in order to provide the conversion identical to that of individual n-heptane. In the mixture of n-heptane with aromatic hydrocarbons, the yield of heptanes isomers was established to be 1.5 times less (from 60.1 to 39.9 wt %) in the presence of Pt/MOR/Al₂O₃ but to remain at the same level (60.4–68.0 wt %) in the presence of Pt/WO₃/ZrO₂. The developed catalysts can be used in industry for isomerization of C7 fraction isolated from straight-run gasoline and from catalytic reforming gasoline, the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons in the feedstock being undesirable.

The studies dealt with the influence of the precursor of Sn(IV) added to aluminum hydroxide at the stage of peptization on the performance of n-hexane isomerization in the presence of supported Pt/SZ/Al₂O₃(Sn) catalysts. It was shown that particles of the active tetragonal phase t-ZrO₂ supported on Al₂O₃(Sn) were 3.2, 8.3 and 8.4 nm in size when hydroxide, chloride and sulfate of Sn(IV), respectively, was used. The smaller active phase particles in size, the larger specific surface area and, as a result, the catalyst is more active to isomerization of n-hexane.

Catalytic properties of anion-exchange resin Amberlyst A-21 in gas-phase disproportionation of trichlorosilane (TCS) at resine critical temperature (up to 423 K) were studied for the first time. The thermodesorprtion followed by pyrolysis were used to establish thermal destruction of Amberlyst A-21 undergoes to form methyl chloride and of the spherical matrix at above 423 K. When Amberlyst A-21 operated at 333–423 K, the apparent activation energy of TCS disproportionation was 37.12 kJ/mol, and the reaction rate constant 0.80 s^–1 (at 423 K). Three-month testing of the resin for TCS disproportionation at 423 K demonstrated the stabile catalytic activity.

The studies were aimed at the development of thermostable hydrophobic Pt catalyst for hydrogen oxidation in the close-to-stoichiometric mixture with oxygen to provide the high gas conversion at the temperature not higher than 353 K in the direct contact with water. The catalyst is to be used for utilization of radiolytic gases (hydrogen and oxygen) at atomic power stations. The studies were focused on the Pt/Al₂O₃ type catalyst with a modified surface. Modified γ-Al₂O₃ was used for preparation of catalysts containing 0.5 wt% of platinum. The catalyst hydrophobicity, thermal stability, texture, surface composition, catalytic performance for hydrogen oxidation, and operational stability were studied during 50-hour testing. The established properties of the catalyst were thermal stability up to 773 K, superhydrophobic surface, reaction rate constants no less than 4±1 s^–1 (at 333 K). The oxidation efficiency was no less than 99.999 % at the hydrogen flow rate of 50 L/h. The results obtained demonstrate potentialities of the prepared hydrophobic catalyst and of the technology for hydrogen oxidation over this catalyst.

A new magnetic Ru-containing catalyst based on Fe₃O₄-SiO₂ particles was suggested for hydrogenation of cellulose to glycols and for hydrolytic hydrogenation of inulin to mannite. The influence of the process parameters on the selectivity for the main products was studied. In conditionsoptimal for cellulose hydrogenolysis, the total selectivity for glycols was ca. 40 % (19.1 % for ethyleneglycol, 20.9 % for propyleneglycol) at the 100 % conversion of cellulose. In hydrolytic hydrogenation of inulin, the maximal selectivity for mannite was 44.3 % at the 100 % conversion of the initial polysaccharide. The developed catalyst is stable under hydrothermal process conditions, easily separated from the reaction mixture under the action of the external magnetic field.

Hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to gamma-valerolactone (GVL) is among the most promising reactions for valorization of biomass and manufacturing of fine chemicals and liquid fuels. GVL synthesized from lignocellulose biomass is, potentially, a universal semiproduct for the production of fuel additives and reagents. Development of the effective process for synthesis of GVL is of urgent importance. The catalyst containing RuO₂ particles stabilized in the polymer matrix of hypercrosslinked polystyrene NM100 (5% Ru/MN100) was developed for selective hydrogenation of LA to GVL. The catalyst and the catalytic behavior was characterized using physicochemical techniques (low temperature nitrogen adsorption, TEM, REM, XPS, FTIR). The synthesized 5%-Ru/MN100 catalyst was shown to provide more than 99 % yield of GVL under mild conditions (90 °C, partial hydrogen pressure 2 MPa) in an aqueous medium that makes it competitive with the commercial 5%-Ru/C catalyst.