Stable zeolite-supported transition metal catalysts, methods for making them, and uses thereof

An NaN.sub.3 -treated basic-molecular sieve-supported Group VIII metal carbonyl-containing catalyst for catalyzing the reaction between CO or a carbonyl-containing compound and hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing compound, said catalyst comprising:

• a molecular sieve which has been treated with an alkali metal azide which has been thermally decomposed within the molecular sieve structure to cause the molecular sieve to become a Bronsted base, said molecular sieve comprising supercages of uniform size with internal diameters in the range of about 1.0 to 1.5 nm and openings thereinto having a longest dimension of greater than about 0.6 nm but less than about 1.5 nm, and, entrapped within said supercages, Group VIII metal carbonyl species which essentially cannot be extracted from said molecular sieve, said Group VIII metal carbonyl species having been selected so as to become resistant under conditions of catalytic operation to decomposition to the Group VIII metal when heated under said conditions to at least about 250.degree. C.

A method for preparing a molecular sieve-supported transition metal catalyst, comprising the steps of:

• (a) combining a shape-selective molecular sieve material with a solution of NaN.sub.3 in a solvent, until NaN.sub.3 is introduced into the intracrystalline space of the molecular sieve, evaporating the solvent, and then thermally decomposing the NaN.sub.3, thereby obtaining a basic molecular sieve,
• (b) introducing the vapor from a volatile transition metal carbonyl compound into said intracrystalline space, and
• (c) interacting said vapor with the basic molecular sieve to obtain said molecular sieve-supported transition metal catalyst, at least until molecular sieve non-extractable transition metal carbonyl compound or anion or combination thereof is formed within said intracrystalline space.