HYDROTHERMAL REACTIONS OF LACTIC ACID CATALYSED BY GROUP VIII METAL COMPLEXES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(85)87436-2

At 220-250 deg C, in the presence of ⁺ in aqueous solution, α-hydroxypropanoic acid (lactic acid) is converted into propanoic, propenoic, β-hydroxypropanoic, pyruvic and acetic acids.The reactions catalysed by ⁺ appear to be double bond hydration and hydrogenation, alcohol dehydration, transfer hydrogenation, decarbonylation and the water-gas shift reaction.Propenoic acid under similar conditions gives similar products.Attempts to catalyse the dehydrocarboxylation of lactic acid using PdCl2, , and were partially successful, although competing disproportionation gave a wide range of products.