The advanced WO3-ZrO2 catalysts with palladium as the active metal and porous alumina supports of different phase composition have been synthesized. Aluminum oxides purchased from Sasol, which were formed as extrudates (E), and spherical aluminum oxides (S), in which the phase composition is represented by alumina modifications θ-Al2O3, δ-Al2O3 and α-Al2O3, served as the supports . The phase composition of the support was shown to strongly affect the activity of supported Pd/WO3-ZrO2 catalysts. When passing from the set of Al2O3 θ- and δ-phases to the phase composition θ- and α-Al2O3, an increase in activity of the catalysts is observed, which is indicated by a 10–30 °С shift of the temperature dependences of heptane conversion toward lower temperatures. The appearance of the α-Al2O3 phase is accompanied by a decrease in specific surface area of the catalysts, thus increasing the density of acid sites and hence changing the activity. Pd/WZ catalysts with supports S have a higher acidity (3.7–6.3 μmol/m2) compared to the samples with supports E (2.8–3.6 μmol/m2). The increased acidity of Pd/WZ/S catalysts amplifies side reactions of heptane cracking with the formation of gaseous С1–С4 hydrocarbons. In its turn, moderate acidity of Pd/WZ/E catalysts increases the formation selectivity of heptane isomers (89.2–89.3 % at a heptane conversion of 81.5–83.2 %) in comparison with the catalysts with supports S (the isomerization selectivity 84.9–85.6 % at a heptane conversion 80.4–81.4 %).

The oxidation of cyclooctene by oxygen was performed simultaneously with ethyl benzene or cumene. Hydroperoxides of alkylbenzenes formed in situ under the action of radical initiator Fe(acac)3 /NHPI were consumed for the epoxidation of cyclooctene in the presence of MoO3 /SiO2 catalyst. The mutual influence of two catalysts of different nature was studied; the temperature and the amount of cyclooctene and MoO3 /SiO2 catalyst, which were favorable for the formation of epoxycyclooctane and allowed retaining sufficient activity of the radical catalyst in the oxidation of alkylbenzenes, were determined. Cyclooctene was affected only slightly by the radical oxidation during the joint oxidation and was converted to epoxycyclooctane with the selectivity above 90 %.

The effect of the zeolite type (SAPO-11, ZSM-22, ZSM-23 and ZSM-12) in the support (the zeolite to Al2О3 ratio of 30 : 70) on physicochemical properties of Pt/Al2О3-zeolite catalysts as well as on the yield and composition of the products of sunflower oil hydrodeoxygenation over these catalysts was studied. The possibility of complete hydrodeoxygenation of sunflower oil at temperatures 320–350 °C, pressure 4 MPa, and mass flow rate 1 h–1 with the yield of liquid products 75–82 % was demonstrated. The fraction of isoalkanes and the yield of products from direct hydrodeoxygenation increase with the concentration of Broensted acid sites in the catalyst in the following series: 1%Pt/Al2O3-ZSM-22 < < 1%Pt/Al2O3-ZSM-12 < 1%Pt/Al2O3-ZSM-23 < 1%Pt/Al2O3-SAPO-11.

The paper is devoted to the effect of chemical composition of the support on acidity and dispersion of supported platinum for 0.5 % Pt/WOx-Al2O3 catalysts as well as their activity and selectivity in hydrodeoxygenation of sunflower oil. It was found that an increase in the content of tungsten in the support is accompanied by an increase in the number of Broensted acid sites on its surface and a decrease in the dispersion of supported platinum in the final catalyst. The activity of 0.5 % Pt/WOx-Al2O3 catalysts does not depend on the composition of support and ensures complete conversion of sunflower oil in a hydrogen atmosphere at a mass flow rate of liquid raw material 1 h–1, temperature 380 °C and total pressure 4 MPa. Therewith, nearly a stoichiometric yield of liquid products С5+ at a level of 82–86 wt.% is achieved. Acidic properties of the 0.5 % Pt/WOx-Al2O3 system determine the possibility of obtaining the hydrocarbon components of diesel fuels with a high content of isoalkanes as a result of hydrodeoxygenation of sunflower oil. The use of the catalyst with the nominal content of tungsten 15 wt.% WO3 leads to the fraction of monomethylsubstituted isomers in the sum of octadecanes at a level of up to 74 % with the complete conversion of the initial feedstock retained during 24 hours.

Physicochemical and catalytic properties of molecular sieves SAPO-11 and SAPO-41, which were granulated with a binder and promoted with 0.5 wt.% Pt, were studied in isodeparaffinization of hydrotreated diesel fraction. It was shown that the introduction of ca. 30 wt.% boehmite, which turns into alumina upon calcination, into the granules leads to a 50– 70 % decrease in the micropore volume and a 6–12 % growth of the external specific surface area of the material in comparison with highly dispersed samples of the indicated molecular sieves. Both samples of bifunctional catalysts make it possible to produce diesel fuel with the pour point of –42 °С and the yield of ca. 91–92 wt.% at 340 °С, 3 MPa, 2.0 h–1, and H2 /feedstock = 800 m3/m3.

The review considers recent advances in the field of heterogeneous metal-containing catalysts for the production of hydrogen as an environmentally benign energy carrier by dehydrogenation of formic acid, which is an accessible and low-toxic substance. Although the activity of homogeneous catalysts in the dehydrogenation of formic acid is higher compared to heterogeneous catalysts, the application of the latter ones makes it possible to simplify the technology and increase the environmental safety of hydrogen production from formic acid. The efficiency of heterogeneous catalysts for dehydrogenation of formic acid based on noble metals (Pd, Au, Ag) can be enhanced by the development of advanced methods for the synthesis of monometallic, bimetallic and trimetallic nanoparticles on different supports. The efficiency of different heterogeneous nanocatalysts in dehydrogenation of formic acid is compared and various factors (the nature of a metal, the size of nanoparticles, their composition, and features of the support) affecting their activity and selectivity to hydrogen are discussed. A considerable increase in the activity toward dehydrogenation of formic acid is achieved by enhancing the interaction of metal nanoparticles with the surface of chemically modified substrate, which decreases the size of nanoparticles, increases the uniformity of their distribution over the substrate and changes the electronic state of the metal. Advances in the development of industrial heterogeneous catalysts for the production of pure hydrogen from formic acid will ensure an essential contribution to the development of hydrogen energetics.

An essay on the scientific activities of a Russian organic chemist and chemical engineer Sergey Alekseevich Fokin (1865–1917) is presented. The name of the scientist is not widely known although he has made the main contribution to the development of the chemistry of fats and creation of the industrial process for fat hardening in Russia, and his merits have been appreciated by national and foreign researchers.