Transalkylation of heavy alkylate using a layered catalyst

An aromatic transalkylation process comprising:

• passing a first stream comprising an aromatic substrate hydrocarbon and a second stream comprising an polyalkyl aromatic hydrocarbon having more than one alkyl group to a reaction zone, wherein each alkyl group has 6 or more carbon atoms;
• reacting the aromatic substrate hydrocarbon in the first stream with the polyalkyl aromatic hydrocarbon in the second stream over a solid catalyst consisting of an inert core consisting of a solid material selected from the group consisting of cordierite, mullite, olivine, zirconia, spinel, kyanite, aluminas, silicas, aluminates, silicates, titania, nitrides, carbides, borosilicates, boria, aluminum silicates, magnesia, fosterite, kaolin, kaolinite, montmorillonite, saponite, bentonite, clays that have little or low acidic activity, gamma alumina, delta alumina, eta alumina, theta alumina and mixtures thereof, the core having an effective particle diameter between 0.05 mm and 5 mm, with an outer layer having a thickness between 10 and 300 micrometers of catalytically active material selected from the group consisting of UZM-5, UZM-8, MCM-22, MCM-49, MCM-56, and mixtures thereof bound to the inert core, thereby generating an effluent stream comprising a monoalkylated aromatic hydrocarbon.