Simultaneous isomerization of n-heptane and saturation of benzene over Pt/Beta catalysts : The influence of zeolite crystal size on product selectivity and sulfur resistance

In this work we show that decreasing the zeolite crystal size has a clear benefit on product selectivity and sulfur resistance of Pt/Beta catalysts during the simultaneous hydroisomerization of n-heptane and hydrogenation of benzene. The higher isomerization selectivity of the catalyst prepared from a nanocrystalline Beta zeolite can be ascribed to a faster diffusion of the iso-C 7 products through the small crystallites preventing cracking reactions to occur, while the improved sulfur resistance can be related to a better dispersion of Pt owing to its higher surface area and mesoporosity.