Catalysts molybdenum

ARCO has developed a coproduct process which produces KA along with propylene oxide [75-56-9] (95—97). Cyclohexane is oxidized as in the high peroxide process to maximize the quantity of CHHP. The reactor effluent then is concentrated to about 20% CHHP by distilling off unreacted cyclohexane and cosolvent tert-huty alcohol [75-65-0]. This concentrate then is contacted with propylene [115-07-1] in another reactor in which the propylene is epoxidized with CHHP to form propylene oxide and KA. A molybdenum catalyst is employed. The product ratio is about 2.5 kg of KA pet kilogram of propylene oxide. 

Thiophene [110-02-17, C H S, and dibenzothiophene [132-65-OJ C22HgS, are models for the organic sulfur compounds found in coal, as well as in petroleum and oil shale. Cobalt—molybdenum and nickel—molybdenum catalysts ate used to promote the removal of organic sulfur (see Coal CONVERSION... 

The conversion of CO to CO2 can be conducted in two different ways. In the first, gases leaving the gas scmbber are heated to 260°C and passed over a cobalt—molybdenum catalyst. These catalysts typically contain 3—4% cobalt(II) oxide [1307-96-6] CoO 13—15% molybdenum oxide [1313-27-5] MoO and 76—80% alumina, JSifDy and are offered as 3-mm extmsions, SV about 1000 h . On these catalysts any COS and CS2 are converted to H2S. Operating temperatures are 260—450°C. The gases leaving this shift converter are then scmbbed with a solvent as in the desulfurization step. After the first removal of the acid gases, a second shift step reduces the CO content in the gas to 0.25—0.4%, on a dry gas basis. The catalyst for this step is usually Cu—Zn, which may be protected by a layer of ZnO. 

Other processes recently reported in the Hterature are the gas-phase reaction of lactonitnle [78-97-7] with ammonia and oxygen in the presence of molybdenum catalyst (86), or the vapor-phase reaction of dimethyl malonate with ammonia in the presence of dehydration catalyst (87). 

In addition to these principal commercial uses of molybdenum catalysts, there is great research interest in molybdenum oxides, often supported on siHca, ie, MoO —Si02, as partial oxidation catalysts for such processes as methane-to-methanol or methane-to-formaldehyde (80). Both O2 and N2O have been used as oxidants, and photochemical activation of the MoO catalyst has been reported (81). The research is driven by the increased use of natural gas as a feedstock for Hquid fuels and chemicals (82). Various heteropolymolybdates (83), MoO.-containing ultrastable Y-zeoHtes (84), and certain mixed metal molybdates, eg, MnMoO Ee2(MoO)2, photoactivated CuMoO, and ZnMoO, have also been studied as partial oxidation catalysts for methane conversion to methanol or formaldehyde (80) and for the oxidation of C-4-hydrocarbons to maleic anhydride (85). Heteropolymolybdates have also been shown to effect ethylene (qv) conversion to acetaldehyde (qv) in a possible replacement for the Wacker process. 

Synthesis. The total aimual production of PO in the United States in 1993 was 1.77 biUion kg (57) and is expected to climb to 1.95 biUion kg with the addition of the Texaco plant (Table 1). There are two principal processes for producing PO, the chlorohydrin process favored by The Dow Chemical Company and indirect oxidation used by Arco and soon Texaco. Molybdenum catalysts are used commercially in indirect oxidation (58—61). Capacity data for PO production are shown in Table 1 (see Propylene oxide). 

After epoxidation, propylene oxide, excess propylene, and propane are distilled overhead. Propane is purged from the process propylene is recycled to the epoxidation reactor. The bottoms Hquid is treated with a base, such as sodium hydroxide, to neutralize the acids. Acids in this stream cause dehydration of the 1-phenylethanol to styrene. The styrene readily polymerizes under these conditions (177—179). Neutralization, along with water washing, allows phase separation such that the salts and molybdenum catalyst remain in the aqueous phase (179). Dissolved organics in the aqueous phase ate further recovered by treatment with sulfuric acid and phase separation. The organic phase is then distilled to recover 1-phenylethanol overhead. The heavy bottoms are burned for fuel (180,181). 

Nicotinonitrile is produced by ammoxidation of alkylpyridines (11—24). A wide variety of different catalysts have been developed for this appHcation. For example, a recent patent describes a process ia which 3-methylpyridine is reacted over a molybdenum catalyst supported on siHca gel. The catalyst (PV Mo 20 ) was prepared from NH VO, H PO, and (NH Moy024. Reaction at 380°C at a residence time of 2.5 seconds gave 95% of nicotinonitrile at a 99% conversion (16). 

Catalyst choice is strongly influenced by the nature of the feedstock to be hydrotreated. Thus, whereas nickel-promoted and cobalt—nickel-promoted molybdenum catalysts can be used for desulfurization of certain feedstocks and operating conditions, a cobalt-promoted molybdenum catalyst is generally preferred in this appHcation. For denitrogenation and aromatics saturation, nickel-promoted molybdenum catalysts usually are the better choice. When both desulfurization and denitrogenation of a feedstock are required, the choice of catalyst usually is made so that the more difficult operation is achieved satisfactorily. 

Research on catalytic coal Hquefaction was also carried out using an emulsified molybdenum catalyst added to the slurry medium to enhance rates of coal conversion to distiUate (26). Reaction at 460°C, 13.7 MPa (1980 psi) in the presence of the dispersed catalyst was sufficient to greatiy enhance conversion of a Pittsburgh No. 8 biturninous coal to hexane-soluble oils ... 

The virgin naphtha feed after having been hydrofined over a cobalt molybdenum catalyst to remove sulftir compounds passes through the Powerformer. After stabilization, the aromatics are recovered by extracdon with... 

The device for nitrogen oxides based on chemiluminescence measures the nitrogen monoxide concentration. The same equipment can be used to measure the concentration of nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide is reduced to nitrogen monoxide in a converter by a molybdenum catalyst. In order to... 

Epoxidation of propylene with ethylbenzene hydroperoxide is carried out at approximately 130°C and 35 atmospheres in presence of molybdenum catalyst. A conversion of 98% on the hydroperoxide has been reported ... 

The use of molybdenum catalysts in combination with hydrogen peroxide is not so common. Nevertheless, there are a number of systems in which molybdates have been employed for the activation of hydrogen peroxide. A catalytic amount of sodium molybdate in combination with monodentate ligands (e.g., hexaalkyl phosphorus triamides or pyridine-N-oxides), and sulfuric acid allowed the epoxidation of simple linear or cyclic olefins [46]. The selectivity obtained by this method was quite low, and significant amounts of diol were formed, even though highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide (>70%) was employed. 

Molybdenum and tungsten are unique in that they are resistant to sulfur, and, in fact, are commonly sulfided before use. The Bureau of Mines tested a variety of molybdenum catalysts (32). They are moderately active but relatively high temperatures are required in order to achieve good conversion, even at low space velocities. Selectivity to methane was 79-94%. Activity is considerably less than that of nickel. Although they are active with sulfur-bearing synthesis gas, the molybdenum and tungsten catalysts are not sufficiently advanced to be considered candidates for commercial use. 

The reaction scheme is rather complex also in the case of the oxidation of o-xylene (41a, 87a), of the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butenes over bismuth-molybdenum catalyst (87b), or of ethylbenzene on aluminum oxide catalysts (87c), in the hydrogenolysis of glucose (87d) over Ni-kieselguhr or of n-butane on a nickel on silica catalyst (87e), and in the hydrogenation of succinimide in isopropyl alcohol on Ni-Al2Oa catalyst (87f) or of acetophenone on Rh-Al203 catalyst (87g). Decomposition of n-and sec-butyl acetates on synthetic zeolites accompanied by the isomerization of the formed butenes has also been the subject of a kinetic study (87h). 

Catalysts in an oxidized state showed high activity in the oxidation of carbon monoxide [nickel catalysts (146) ] and hydrogen [molybdenum catalysts (146a)]. 

Trickle-bed operation is the oldest and the most commonly used its development is described in a recent publication (VI). Cobalt-molybdenum catalysts may be used at a temperature of 360°C and a pressure of 57 atm for the hydrogenation of straight-run gas oils. 

Gas-liquid fluidization is employed in the H-Oil process developed in the United States (H6). Cobalt-molybdenum catalyst particles of -in. diameter may be used at a reaction pressure of 100 atm or more and a temperature of about 400°C (V4). 

The acceptance of a (new) catalytically mediated methodology by the target-directed synthetic community strongly depends on the availability, stability, and functional group tolerance of the respective catalysts. With the commercial availability of Grubbs5 benzylidene ruthenium catalyst A [13] and Schrock s even more active, yet highly air- and moisture-sensitive molybdenum catalyst B [14]... 

The difference in reactivity is perfectly revealed in Metz s total synthesis of the molluscicidal furanosesquiterpene lactones ricciocarpin A (50) and B (51) (Scheme 9) [32]. Attempts to convert acrylate 43 to lactone 44 using Grubbs5 catalyst A or Schrock s molybdenum catalyst B resulted in very low yields of the... 

Diene 265, substituted by a bulky silyl ether to prevent cycloaddition before the metathesis process, produced in the presence of catalyst C the undesired furanophane 266 with a (Z) double bond as the sole reaction product in high yield. The same compound was obtained with Schrock s molybdenum catalyst B, while first-generation catalyst A led even under very high dilution only to an isomeric mixture of dimerized products. The (Z)-configured furanophane 266 after desilylation did not, in accordance with earlier observations, produce any TADA product. On the other hand, dienone 267 furnished the desired macrocycle (E)-268, though as minor component in a 2 1 isomeric mixture with (Z)-268. Alcohol 269 derived from E-268 then underwent the projected TADA reaction selectively to produce cycloadduct 270 (70% conversion) in a reversible process after 3 days. The final Lewis acid-mediated conversion to 272 however did not occur, delivering anhydrochatancin 271 instead. 

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