42452-48-2

Upstream product

• 123-38-6 propionaldehyde 

Relevant academic research and scientific papers

Condensation and esterification reactions of alkanals, alkanones, and alkanols on TiO2: Elementary steps, site requirements, and synergistic effects of bifunctional strategies

Rates and selectivity of TiO2-catalyzed condensation of C3 oxygenates (propanal, acetone) are limited by ubiquitous effects of side reactions, deactivation, and thermodynamic bottlenecks. H2 together with a Cu function, present as physical mixtures with TiO2, circumvents such hurdles by scavenging unsaturated intermediates. They also render alkanols and alkanals/alkanones equivalent as reactants through rapid interconversion, while allowing esterification turnovers by dehydrogenating unstable hemiacetals. Oxygenates form molecules with new C-C and C-O bonds and fewer O-atoms at nearly complete conversions with stable rates and selectivities. Kinetic, isotopic, and theoretical methods showed that rates are limited by α-C-H cleavage from carbonyl reactants to form enolate intermediates, which undergo C-C coupling with another carbonyl species to form α,β-unsaturated oxygenates or with alkanols to form hemiacetals with new C-O bonds, via an intervening H-shift that forms alkoxide-alkanal pairs. Titrations with 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine, pyridine, CO2, and propanoic acid during catalysis showed that Lewis acid-base site pairs of moderate strength mediate enolate formation steps via concerted interactions with the α-H atom and the enolate moiety at transition states. The resulting site-counts allow rigorous comparisons between theory and experiments and among catalysts on the basis of turnover rates and activation free energies. Theoretical treatments give barriers, kinetic isotope effects, and esterification/condensation ratios in excellent agreement with experiments and confirm the strong effects of reactant substituents at the α-C-atom and of surface structure on reactivity. Surfaces with Ti-O-Ti sites exhibiting intermediate acid-base strength and Ti-O distances, prevalent on anatase but not rutile TiO2, are required for facile α-C-H activation in reactants and reprotonation of the adsorbed intermediates that mediate condensation and esterification turnovers.

Generation of basic centers in high-silica zeolites and their application in gas-phase upgrading of bio-oil

High-silica zeolites have been reported recently as efficient catalysts for liquid- and gas-phase condensation reactions because of the presence of a complementary source of basicity compared to Al-rich basic zeolites. Herein, we describe the controlled generation of these active sites on silica-rich FAU, BEA, and MFI zeolites. Through the application of a mild base treatment in aqueous Na2CO3, alkali-metal-coordinating defects are generated within the zeolite whereas the porous properties are fully preserved. The resulting catalysts were applied in the gas-phase condensation of propanal at 673 K as a model reaction for the catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis oil, for which an up to 20-fold increased activity compared to the unmodified zeolites was attained. The moderate basicity of these new sites leads to a coke resistance superior to traditional base catalysts such as CsX and MgO, and comparable activity and excellent selectivity is achieved for the condensation pathways. Through strategic acid and base treatments and the use of magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy, the nature of the active sites was investigated, which supports the theory of siloxy sites as basic centers. This contribution represents a key step in the understanding and design of high-silica base catalysts for the intermediate deoxygenation of crude bio-oil prior to the hydrotreating step for the production of second-generation biofuels. Creating new basic sites: Through activation treatments in alkaline media, basic sites with high activity, stability, and selectivity are generated in high-silica FAU, BEA, and MFI zeolites, which enable the efficient deoxygenation of pyrolysis oil by condensation reactions. Intermediate bio-oil upgrading is key for the sustainable and profitable production of advanced biofuels.

Hierarchical high-silica zeolites as superior base catalysts

For more than four decades, the design of zeolite base catalysts has relied on the application of aluminium-rich frameworks exchanged with alkali metal cations (preferably Cs+). However, moderate activity associated with access and diffusion limitations, and high manufacturing costs associated with high caesium content (typically over 30%) have hampered their industrial implementation so far. Herein, we have discovered that high-silica USY zeolites outperform their Al-rich counterparts in a variety of base-catalysed reactions of relevance in the fine chemical industry, as well as in the upgrading of biofuels. The benefits of this class of materials are amplified upon the alleviation of diffusion constraints through the introduction of a network of intracrystalline mesopores by post-synthetic modification. For example, the resulting cation-free hierarchical USY provides an up to 30-fold Knoevenagel condensation activity compared to the benchmark Cs-X, and similar observations were made upon application in liquid-phase (nitro)aldol reactions. Moreover, in the gas-phase aldol condensation of propanal, high-silica zeolites provide superior activity, selectivity, and lifetime compared to caesium-containing zeolites and even a strong solid base such as MgO. We decouple the complex interplay between mesoporosity and intrinsic zeolitic properties such as crystallinity, and quantify the increase in catalyst effectiveness upon hierarchical structuring as a function of reactant size. The obtained results are a major step to resolve the drawbacks of zeolites catalysis and thereby revitalise their potential for industrial application.

Hydroxyapatite, an exceptional catalyst for the gas-phase deoxygenation of bio-oil by aldol condensation

Hydroxyapatites with high surface concentrations of calcium exhibit outstanding activity, selectivity, and stability in the gas-phase condensation of propanal in comparison with well-established base catalysts. These abundant and low-cost materials can be attractively used for the deoxygenation of bio-oil, contributing to the sustainable manufacture of renewable second-generation bio-fuels.

Amino functionalized chitosan as a catalyst for selective solvent-free self-condensation of linear aldehydes

An aminopropyltrimethoxysilane functionalized chitosan was found to be an efficient solid base catalyst for the self-aldol condensation of linear aldehydes under solvent-free conditions. The modified catalyst was characterized using physical techniques, elemental analysis, FT-IR, and TGA. The modified chitosan was evaluated for the aldol condensation of C3-C7 linear aldehydes in which the selective formation was obtained for α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. A decreasing trend in the conversion from propanal to heptanal was observed. Propanal and pentanal were subjected for detail investigations to study the effect of parameters like amount of catalyst and aldehyde, and temperature on the conversion and selectivity. Kinetic performance of the modified chitosan investigated for a representative aldehyde, pentanal showed that the rate was increased with the catalyst amount, pentanal and temperature. The catalyst was reused up to six cycles without significant loss in its activity and selectivity.