	US 7,355,084 B2
	Method for hydrogenating organic compounds by means of Ru/SiO2 catalysts
Arnd Böttcher, Frankenthal (Germany); Dominic Vanoppen, Kapellen (Belgium); Jan-Dirk Arndt, Mannheim (Germany); Jochem Henkelmann, Mannheim (Germany); and Konrad Knoll, Ludwigshafen (Germany)
Assigned to BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Ludwigshafen (Germany)
Appl. No. 10/480,196 PCT Filed Jun. 07, 2002, PCT No. PCT/EP02/06287 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Dec. 10, 2003, PCT Pub. No. WO02/100536, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 19, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 101 28 242 (DE), filed on Jun. 11, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2004/0199033 A1, Oct. 07, 2004
Int. Cl. C07C 5/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 585—267 [585/271; 568/821; 564/450; 564/451]

24 Claims

1. A process for hydrogenating at least one organic compound by bringing the organic compound or compounds into contact with a hydrogen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst which comprises, as active metal, ruthenium either alone or together with at least one further metal of transition group I, VII or VIII of the Periodic Table applied to a support material based on amorphous silicon dioxide, wherein the active metal is present on the support material in an atomically dispersed form or in the form of metal particles, or in atomically dispersed form and in the form of metal particles, which metal particles are present to an extent of more than 90%, based on the number of visible particles, as isolated particles having a diameter below 10 nm, and which catalyst is obtainable by:

i) a single or multiple treatment of a support material based on amorphous silicon dioxide with a halogen-free aqueous solution of a low molecular weight ruthenium compound and subsequent drying of the treated support material at below 200° C., wherein the low molecular weight ruthenium compound is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium(III) nitrosyl nitrate, ruthenium(III) acetate and alkali metal ruthenate (IV),

ii) reduction of the solid obtained in i) by means of hydrogen at from 100 to 350° C.,

with step ii) being carried out directly after step i), and the support based on amorphous silicon dioxide has a BET surface area in the range from 50 to 700 m²/g.