Hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of N-containing compounds (carbazole in this paper) in the presence of a small amount of sulfur (50 ppm) requires a strong catalytic hydrogenating function. Bulk molybdenum carbide, Mo2C, behaves like a noble metal and has strong hydrogenating properties and can catalyse deep HDN if the S content is not too high. A kinetic investigation monitored both the hydrogenating function through carbazole consumption and the HDN of carbazole through two kinetically coupled cycles. Biphenyl was not observed. Kinetic coupling occurs by means of adsorbed orthocyclohexylaniline. The first route is the direct HDN reaction, leading to cyclohexylbenzene, while the second hydrogenation route leads to bicyclohexyl. At 633 K, a zero-order reaction is observed with respect to carbazole; total HDN is observed for 0.4 s, and the selectivity ratio of bicyclohexyl to cyclohexylbenzene is equal to 9. (C) 2003 Elsevier lnc. All rights reserved.