Patent ID: 8142645

Claim:
A process for hydrocracking a refining by-product containing polynuclear aromatic compounds and increasing monoaromatic content, comprising: providing a refining by-product that includes polynuclear aromatic compounds; providing a plurality of oil-soluble catalyst complexes, each catalyst complex comprising, a catalytic metal; and a plurality of organic ligands bonded to the catalytic metal, each organic ligand comprising a carbon ring spaced apart from the catalytic metal by at least 1 atom; blending the plurality of catalyst complexes with the refining by-product to form a feedstock mixture; and hydrocracking the feedstock mixture in a reactor containing a catalyst and operating under hydrocracking conditions and in a manner so as to form a product having an increased monoaromatic content compared to the refining by-product, the catalyst in the reactor consisting essentially of the catalytic metal provided by the oil-soluble catalyst complexes.