Hydrogenation process utilizing novel catalyst

Abstract

The instant invention relates to a novel hydrogenation catalyst comprising a composite of a Group VIII metal or Group VIII metal compound and a compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the general formula M(O.sub.3 ZO.sub.x R).sub.n wherein M comprises a tetravalent metal, Z comprises a pentavalent atom, R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, organo radicals and mixtures thereof provided that at least a portion of said radicals comprise a moiety selected from the group consisting of pyridyl, allyl, anthranilic acid radicals and mixtures thereof; x is 0 or 1, and n is 2, provided that n is 1 when R is terminated with a tri- or tetra-oxy pentavalent atom. This catalyst is useful in hydrogenation processes which comprise contacting said catalyst with an unsaturated compound, said unsaturated compound comprising at least one unsaturated bond, e.g., a carbon-carbon bond, a carbon-nitrogen bond, a carbon-oxygen bond, or a nitrogen-oxygen bond, etc. at conditions sufficient to convert said unsaturated bond into a saturated bond. For example, benzonitrile may be hydrogenated to a mixture comprising benzylamine, toluene, and a benzylideneamino toluene by means of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising a composite of PdCl.sub.2 and zirconium bis [2-(4'pyridyl)ethylphosphonate].

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.