Highly
loaded and dispersed catalysts 60%Ni/Al2O3,
60%Ni/MgO, and 60%Ni/MgAlO were used to study the effect
of monoethylamine (MEA), diethylamine (DEA), and triethylamine (TEA)
on the hydrogenation of toluene. It was found that the heats and coverages
for the adsorption of toluene and hydrogen decreased greatly after
the preadsorption of an ethylamine, and thus the existence of ethylamines
inhibited significantly the conversion of toluene on Ni. However,
such effect was weakened over Ni supported on the basic supports (MgAlO
and MgO). In addition, all the three ethylamines were strongly adsorbed
on Ni, but with different coverages of MEA > DEA > TEA, which
was
the same sequence as the effect of ethylamines on the hydrogenation
of toluene. Particularly, the Ni/MgAlO was the most active among the
catalysts studied for the hydrogenation of toluene with ethylamines
and thus might be a good choice for the hydrogenation of aromatic
rings in aromatic amines.