In the last quarters a new class of solid superacids, including sulfated zirconium-hafnium oxides and ZrO[sub 2]/SO[sub 4] modified by Mn and Fe, were synthesized and shown to be active for isomerization and hydrocracking of hexadecane (n-C[sub 16]H[sub 34]). The reaction was carried out in a tubing bomb under mild conditions: 2.5 MPa and 433 K. Pt/HfO[sub 2]S0[sub 4] catalyst exhibited a low activity for hydrocracking of n-C[sub 16], but the addition of ZrO[sub 2] to the sulfated hafnium improved its activity considerably. An 85 wt % conversion level was achieved when the molar ratio of ZrO[sub 2] to HfO[sub 2] reached 1:1, indicating the possibility of a synergistic effect between zirconium and hafnium. It has recently been reported that Mn,Fe/ZrO[sub 2]/SO[sub 4] is about three orders of magnitude more active than ZrO[sub 2]/SO[sub 4] for isomerizing n-butane. As a result, an 0.5%Mn1.5%Fe/ZrO[sub 2]/SO[sub 4] catalyst was prepared according to a procedure given in a patent. It was found that, without Pt, the catalyst was inactive for hydrocracking of n-C[sub 16], possibly by deactivation due to coking. It is interesting that a 68 wt % conversion level was achieved after incorporation of Pt along with a product distribution that was …

In the last quarters a new class of solid superacids, including sulfated zirconium-hafnium oxides and ZrO{sub 2}/SO{sub 4} modified by Mn and Fe, were synthesized and shown to be active for isomerization and hydrocracking of hexadecane (n-C{sub 16}H{sub 34}). The reaction was carried out in a tubing bomb under mild conditions: 2.5 MPa and 433 K. Pt/HfO{sub 2}S0{sub 4} catalyst exhibited a low activity for hydrocracking of n-C{sub 16}, but the addition of ZrO{sub 2} to the sulfated hafnium improved its activity considerably. An 85 wt % conversion level was achieved when the molar ratio of ZrO{sub 2} to HfO{sub 2} reached 1:1, indicating the possibility of a synergistic effect between zirconium and hafnium. It has recently been reported that Mn,Fe/ZrO{sub 2}/SO{sub 4} is about three orders of magnitude more active than ZrO{sub 2}/SO{sub 4} for isomerizing n-butane. As a result, an 0.5%Mn1.5%Fe/ZrO{sub 2}/SO{sub 4} catalyst was prepared according to a procedure given in a patent. It was found that, without Pt, the catalyst was inactive for hydrocracking of n-C{sub 16}, possibly by deactivation due to coking. It is interesting that a 68 wt % conversion level was achieved after incorporation of Pt along with a product distribution that was …