The catalyst becomes at least partially deactivated by sorbing catalyst poisons
present in the feed during a process for alkylating aromatics by contacting a feed
containing benzene, toluene, xylenes, alkylbenzenes, naphthalene or substituted
naphthalenes under liquid phase alkylating conditions with C2-C16
olefins in the presence of MCM-22, MCM-36, MCM-49, MCM-56, ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12,
ZSM-23, ZSM-35, ZSM-48, ZSM-50, ZSM-4, ZSM-18, ZSM-20, Zeolite X, Zeolite Y, USY,
mordenite or offretite to provide an alkylated aromatic product. The at least partially
deactivated catalyst can be treated in situ by contacting with at least one polar
compound having a dipole moment of at least 0.05 Debyes and selected from the group
consisting of acetic acid, formic acid, water, and carbon monoxide, under conditions
of temperature and pressure employed in the liquid phase alkylating conditions
which are sufficient to at least partially desorb the catalyst poison from the catalyst.
