Selective Hydrogenation Catalyst and Methods of Making and Using Same

A method of preparing a hydrogenation catalyst comprising:

• shaping a mixture comprising a high surface area alumina, a pore former, and water to form a shaped support, wherein the shaped support comprises a low angularity particle shape, wherein the low angularity particle shape is a sphere, an ovoid, or a capsule;
• drying the shaped support to form a dried support;
• calcining the dried support to from a calcined support;
• contacting the calcined support with a chlorine-containing compound to form a chlorided support;
• reducing the amount of chloride in the chlorided support to form a cleaned support;
• and
• contacting the cleaned support with a Group 10 metal and a Group 1B metal to form a hydrogenation catalyst,
• wherein a pore size distribution for the hydrogenation catalyst displays at least two peaks of pore diameters, each peak having a maximum, wherein a first peak has a first maximum of pore diameters of from greater than 1,000 nm to about 6,000 nm and a second peak has a second maximum of pore diameters that is less than about 200 nm, wherein greater than or equal to about 15% of the total pore volume of the agglomerated inorganic support is contained within the first peak of pore diameters.