Manganese oxidation catalyst

Reactions 33 and 35 constitute the two principal reactions of alkyl hydroperoxides with metal complexes and are the most common pathway for catalysis of LPOs (2). Both manganese and cobalt are especially effective in these reactions. There is extensive evidence that the oxidation of intermediate ketones is enhanced by a manganese catalyst, probably through an enol mechanism (34,96,183—185). 

In the late 1950 s two groups - one at ICI (ref. 1) and the other at the Mid-Century Corporation (ref. 2) - independently discovered that p-xylene is oxidized to terephthalic acid in almost quantitative yield when soluble bromides are used together with cobalt and manganese catalysts in acetic acid solvent at temperatures > 130 °C (ref. 3). This discovery formed the basis for what became known as the Mid-Century process and later, when the Mid-Century Corporation was acquired by Amoco, as the Amoco MC process for the commercial production of terephthalic acid. A large part of the ca. 6 million tons of the latter that are manufactured annually, on a worldwide basis, are produced via this method. This makes it the most important catalytic oxidation process (ref. 4). 

Fueled by the success of the Mn (salen) catalysts, new forays have been launched into the realm of hybrid catalyst systems. For example, the Mn-picolinamide-salicylidene complexes (i.e., 13) represent novel oxidation-resistant catalysts which exhibit higher turnover rates than the corresponding Jacobsen-type catalysts. These hybrids are particularly well-suited to the low-cost-but relatively aggressive-oxidant systems, such as bleach. In fact, the epoxidation of trans-P-methylstyrene (14) in the presence of 5 mol% of catalyst 13 and an excess of sodium hypochlorite proceeds with an ee of 53%. Understanding of the mechanistic aspects of these catalysts is complicated by their lack of C2 symmetry. For example, it is not yet clear whether the 5-membered or 6-membered metallocycle plays the decisive role in enantioselectivity however, in any event, the active form is believed to be a manganese 0x0 complex <96TL2725>. 

Hitachi Cable Ltd. (35) has claimed that dehydrogenation catalysts, exemplified by chromium oxide—zinc oxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, and aluminum oxide—manganese oxide inhibit drip and reduce flammability of a polyolefin mainly flame retarded with ATH or magnesium hydroxide. Proprietary grades of ATH and Mg(OH)2 are on the market which contain small amounts of other metal oxides to increase char, possibly by this mechanism. 

Strangely enough, a combination similar to the ammonia catalyst, iron oxide plus alumina, yielded particularly good results (32). Together with Ch. Beck, the author found that other combinations such as iron oxide with chromium oxide, zinc oxide with chromium oxide, lead oxide with uranium oxide, copper oxide with zirconium oxide, manganese oxide with chromium oxide, and similar multicomponent systems were quite effective catalysts for the same reaction (33). 

For this reaction, our aim was to improve the known catalytic action of iron oxides to an extent that the high activity of the generally used platinum catalyst would be equalled. Together with Ch. Beck, the author finally found iron oxide-bismuth oxide combinations, and iron oxide-manganese oxide-bismuth oxide combinations which were outstanding catalysts. An iron oxide-lead oxide catalyst proved to be less satisfactory (44). 

A similar oxidation-reduction mechanism in the carbon monoxide oxidation reaction on oxide catalysts has been proposed by Benton (71), Bray (72), Frazer (73), and Schwab (74). In this reaction also, Mooi and Selwood (57) found that a decrease in the percentage of iron oxide, manganese oxide or copper oxide on the alumina support first increased the rate, and then at lower percentages decreased the rate, of carbon monoxide oxidation, indicating that valence stabilization is again operative in these cases. 

Cumene oxidized relatively slowly, at about 1/13 the rate of p-xylene. This was not caused by the formation of phenol, as might be expected by an acid-catalyzed rearrangement of cumene hydroperoxide. No phenol or product clearly derived from phenol, as by radical attack or by oxidation to a quinone, was detected at any time in the reaction mixture. The two major products were a-methylstyrene and 2-phenylpropylene oxide their concentrations increased with time. The group at Shell also observed the formation of a-methylstyrene and 2-phenylpropylene oxide among the products of cumene oxidation in butyric acid at 140°C. with cobalt and manganese catalysts (30). 

The necessary oxygen need not be obtained from the air. Sulphur dioxide is readily obtained by heating sulphur with certain oxides, dioxides or peroxides. Sulphur vapour and steam heated at a suitable temperature in the presence of iron oxide, as catalyst react to form sulphur dioxide and hydrogen which may be recovered separately. With manganese dioxide and powdered sulphur the reaction proceeds as follows ... 

Together with his colleagues in the laboratory he studied problems of the crystallization of nitroglycerin, oxidation of hydrogen on a platinum catalyst, and oxidation of CO on manganese catalysts. The first and the third problems were of practical significance. 

Manganese(III) acetate is poorly reactive with saturated hydrocarbons.514 However, oxidation of adamantane by Mn(OAc)3 in trifluoroacetic acid gives relatively high yields of 1-adamantyl trifluoroacetate, showing a preferential attack at tertiary C—H bonds.515 Oxidation of n-alkanes by air in the presence of manganese catalysts constitutes the basis for an industrial process for the manufacture of synthetic fatty acids from n-alkanes of petroleum origin, which has been commercially developed in the Soviet Union.516... 

Methyl alcohol is obtained from synthesis gas under appropriate conditions (Fig. 1) or by the oxidation of methane (Fig. 2). This includes zinc, chromium, manganese, or aluminum oxides as catalysts, 300°C, 250 to... 

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