Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1980, 45, 1937-1939
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19801937

Meerwein-Ponndorf reduction of benzaldehyde over metal oxides

Lubomír Nondek and Jiří Sedláček

Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 165 02 Prague 6- Suchdol

Abstract

The Meerwein-Ponndorf reduction of benzaldehyde by 2-propanol in the liquid phase was studied in the presence of metal oxides as the catalysts. Except for aluminia, all the eight metal oxides tested were found to be nearly inactive. The activity of the aluminia-magnesia catalysts decreased with the decreasing aluminia content. No correlation was observed between the basic properties of the aluminia-magnesia catalysts and their activity in the reduction of benzaldehyde.