Formic acid is a promising liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) since it has relatively high hydrogen content (4.4 wt%), low inflammability, low toxicity and can be obtained from biomass or from CO₂. The aim of the present research was the creation of efficient 1 wt% Pd catalysts supported on mesoporous graphitic carbon (Sibunit) for the hydrogen production from gas-phase formic acid. For this purpose, the carbon support was modified by pyrolysis of deposited precursors containing pyridinic nitrogen such as melamine (Mel), 2,2′-bipyridine (Bpy) or 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) at 673 K. The following activity trend of the catalysts Pd/Mel/C > Pd/C ~ Pd/Bpy/C > Pd/Phen/C was obtained. The activity of the Pd/Mel/C catalyst was by a factor of 4 higher than the activity of the Pd/C catalyst at about 373 K and the apparent activation energy was significantly lower than those for the other catalysts (32 vs. 42–46 kJ/mol). The high activity of the melamine-based samples was explained by a high dispersion of Pd nanoparticles (~2 nm, HRTEM) and their strong electron-deficient character (XPS) provided by interaction of Pd with pyridinic nitrogen species of the support. The presented results can be used for the development of supported Pd catalysts for hydrogen production from different liquid organic hydrogen carriers.

Linear alpha olefins (LAO) are a class of chemical compounds used in the production of such high-demand products as plasticizers, synthetic lubricants, surfactants, and co-polymers with improved performance. The world consumption of LAO derivatives grows annually, as does the role of LAO processing by scientific institutions, universities, and research departments of commercial companies. Analysis of the scientific literature of the last ten years revealed no general reviews of LAO processing. This work describes recent trends in the processing of LAOs that contain four or more carbon atoms into technologically important derivatives. It lists the main products obtained via LAO processing, along with the means of their production and applications. Existing technological processes for the production of LAO derivatives and the catalysts that are used are considered briefly. Current trends in LAO processing and promising ways to improve existing technologies are described, including the development of new types of catalysts. This review does not claim to be exhaustive, since its main purpose is to give a general idea of the major trends in LAO processing, the catalysts used in these processes, and current ways of improving them.

This review continues Part 1, which considered current trends in the processing of linear alpha olefins to ethylene copolymers, and anionic and nonionic surfactants. This review also briefly outlines such importnant trends in the processing of LAOs as alkylation to linear alkylbenzenes, the oligomerization of alpha olefins into poly alpha olefins, sulfonation to alpha olefin sulfonates, and other large-scale processes.

The catalytic alkylation of benzene with a multicomponent mixture consisting of products from the thermal pyrolysis of higher paraffins and containing a wide fraction of olefins of various structures is studied. Methanesulfonic acid, which has weak corrosion properties compared to industrial catalytic systems, is used as a homogeneous catalyst. Using two-dimensional gas chromatography to analyze the composition of both the initial multicomponent raw material and the products of alkylation allow the selection of the initial process conditions and the correct calculation of such parameters for assessing efficiency as selectivity and conversion. Depending on the raw material, the selectivity to linear alkylbenzene (LAB) is ranged within 82.4–88.3%; for 2-LABs, it is 29.2–41.3% at ~90% olefin conversion.