Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 2003, 68, 1969-1984
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc20031969

Hydrogenation and Hydrogenolysis of Acetophenone

Martina Bejblováa, Petr Zámostnýa, Libor Červenýa,* and Jiří Čejkab

a Department of Organic Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
b J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejškova 3, 182 23 Prague 8, Czech Republic

Abstract

Catalytic hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of acetophenone was investigated on supported palladium catalysts in liquid phase at temperatures 30-130 °C and pressures 1-10 MPa. A number of supports like active carbon, alumina and zeolites Beta and ZSM-5 were employed. The effects of solvent and support on the reaction mechanism of acetophenone transformation were studied. Catalysts with acid zeolite support showed a very high activity in transformation of acetophenone to ethylbenzene. Based on a kinetic model, the reaction rates of acetophenone transformation to ethylbenzene on Pd/C and Pd/Al2O3 catalysts were discussed. The kinetic model confirmed that the transformation of acetophenone to ethylbenzene proceeds primarily via a hydrogenation-dehydration mechanism and the effect of the direct hydrogenolysis of the C=O bond of acetophenone is insignificant.

Keywords: Hydrogenation; Hydrogenolysis; Carbonyl compounds; Acetophenone; Ketones; Reductions; Zeolites; Palladium; Active carbon; Heterogeneous catalysis; Solid support.

References: 45 live references.