Poison resistant catalysis with microporous catalyst membranes

Amorphous microporous metal oxide membranes containing 1% Pt have been prepared by a modified sol-gel process. The pore diameters of these membranes range from 6 to 9 A and the membranes show a cutoff at MW 180 in liquid phase separation. The membranes are active hydrogenation catalysts and by separating the liquid phase from the hydrogen by the membrane, poison resistant hydrogenation has been achieved. This novel approach to the processing of three phase reactions combines the unique properties of nanofiltration membranes and platinum to obtain a better control over heterogeneous catalysis.