Preliminary investigations on the catalytic hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons via WGSR

•Water-gas shift reaction could supply hydrogen for hydrogenation process of anthracene.•Free radicals produced by anthracene pyrolysis were stabilized by active hydrogen.•Deuterium isotope labeling results revealed the hydrogen donor route via water-gas shift reaction. The water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) is a crucial reaction in the direct liquefaction of lignite in a syngas (CO + H2) system. In this study, anthracene was utilized as a polycyclic model compound of lignite, to which hydrogen is donated by the H2/D2 produced from CO and H2O/D2O via the WGSR. The results show that the model compound of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in coal (anthracene) undergoes partial cracking and polycondensation under non-hydrogen-donor conditions at 400 °C. In addition, WGSR catalyzed by NiO can generate hydrogen for the hydrogenation of anthracene. Comparing the mass spectra of deuterated products with those of conventional hydrogenation products by isotope labeling, the alkyl side chain positions of toluene, 1,4-xylene, methylnaphthalene, 1,1-diphenylethylene, methylanthracene and other compounds are prone to deuteration, enabling speculation of the main hydrogenation route of anthracene, which provides theoretical support for the catalytic hydrogenation in direct liquefaction of lignite in a syngas (CO + H2) system. [Display omitted]