Features of the Kinetics and Mechanism of Stearic Acid Decarbonylation in the Presence of a Silica Gel-Supported Nickel Sulfide Catalyst

Abstract

The substitution of silica gel for γ-Al₂O₃ to be used as a support for a nickel sulfide catalyst for stearic acid decarbonylation leads to a significant increase in the catalyst activity and a slight improvement of the heptadecene selectivity. Comparison with the γ-Al₂O₃-supported catalyst has been made in terms of the kinetic model based on experimental data. An increase in the catalyst activity is attributed to a decrease in the strength of the active site–reactant adsorption complexes on the basis of the Sabatier–Balandin principle. Relationships between the features of the reaction mechanism, the acidity of the support, and the nanoparticle size of the active substance have been discussed.