Oxide catalysts aldol condensation

Warwel et al. [27] synthesized 1,8-nonadiene in 75 % yield via ethenolysis of cy-cloheptene over a Rc207/Al203 catalyst (at 60 °C and an ethene pressure of 80 bar). The diene was subsequently subjected to intermolecular metathesis (release of ethene), again over a rhenium oxide catalyst (at 35 °C and 15 torr vacuum), giving 80% yield of 1,8,15-hexadecatriene. The latter was converted, via oxidation, intramolecular aldol condensation, and hydrogenation, to muscone (3-methylcyclo-pentadecanone), an important perfume ingredient. 

Mg-Al mixed oxides obtained by thermal decomposition of anionic clays of hydrotalcite structure, present acidic or basic surface properties depending on their chemical composition [1]. These materials contain the metal components in close interaction thereby promoting bifunctional reactions that are catalyzed by Bronsted base-Lewis acid pairs. Among others, hydrotalcite-derived mixed oxides promote aldol condensations [2], alkylations [3] and alcohol eliminations reactions [1]. In particular, we have reported that Mg-Al mixed oxides efficiently catalyze the gas-phase self-condensation of acetone to a,P-unsaturated ketones such as mesityl oxides and isophorone [4]. Unfortunately, in coupling reactions like aldol condensations, basic catalysts are often deactivated either by the presence of byproducts such as water in the gas phase or by coke build up through secondary side reactions. Deactivation has traditionally limited the potential of solid basic catalysts to replace environmentally problematic and corrosive liquid bases. However, few works in the literature deal with the deactivation of solid bases under reaction conditions. Studies relating the concerted and sequential pathways required in the deactivation mechanism with the acid-base properties of the catalyst surface are specially lacking. 

The base-catalyzed reaction of acetaldehyde with excess formaldehyde [50-00-0] is the commercial route to pentaerythritol [115-77-5]. The aldol condensation of three moles of formaldehyde with one mole of acetaldehyde is foUowed by a crossed Cannizzaro reaction between pentaerythrose, the intermediate product, and formaldehyde to give pentaerythritol (57). The process proceeds to completion without isolation of the intermediate. Pentaerythrose [3818-32-4] has also been made by condensing acetaldehyde and formaldehyde at 45°C using magnesium oxide as a catalyst (58). The vapor-phase reaction of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde at 475°C over a catalyst composed of lanthanum oxide on siHca gel gives acrolein [107-02-8] (59). 

Lithium Iodide. Lithium iodide [10377-51 -2/, Lil, is the most difficult lithium halide to prepare and has few appHcations. Aqueous solutions of the salt can be prepared by carehil neutralization of hydroiodic acid with lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide. Concentration of the aqueous solution leads successively to the trihydrate [7790-22-9] dihydrate [17023-25-5] and monohydrate [17023-24 ] which melt congmendy at 75, 79, and 130°C, respectively. The anhydrous salt can be obtained by carehil removal of water under vacuum, but because of the strong tendency to oxidize and eliminate iodine which occurs on heating the salt ia air, it is often prepared from reactions of lithium metal or lithium hydride with iodine ia organic solvents. The salt is extremely soluble ia water (62.6 wt % at 25°C) (59) and the solutions have extremely low vapor pressures (60). Lithium iodide is used as an electrolyte ia selected lithium battery appHcations, where it is formed in situ from reaction of lithium metal with iodine. It can also be a component of low melting molten salts and as a catalyst ia aldol condensations. 

Neo acids are prepared from selected olefins using carbon monoxide and acid catalyst (4) (see Carboxylic Acids, trialkylacetic acids). 2-EthyIhexanoic acid is manufactured by an aldol condensation of butyraldehyde followed by an oxidation of the resulting aldehyde (5). Isopalmitic acid [4669-02-7] is probably made by an aldol reaction of octanal. 

Kelkar and McCarthy (1995) proposed another method to use the feedforward experiments to develop a kinetic model in a CSTR. An initial experimental design is augmented in a stepwise manner with additional experiments until a satisfactory model is developed. For augmenting data, experiments are selected in a way to increase the determinant of the correlation matrix. The method is demonstrated on kinetic model development for the aldol condensation of acetone over a mixed oxide catalyst. 

The solid base catalysed aldol condensation of acetone was performed over a CsOH/Si02 catalyst using a H2 carrier gas. The products observed were diacetone alcohol, mesityl oxide, phorone, iso-phorone and the hydrogenated product, methyl isobutyl ketone. Deuterium tracer experiments were performed to gain an insight into the reaction mechanism. A mechanism is proposed. 

The aldol condensation of acetone to diacetone alcohol is the first step in a three-step process in the traditional method for the production of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). This reaction is catalysed by aqueous NaOH in the liquid phase. (3) The second step involves the acid catalysed dehydration of diacetone alcohol (DAA) to mesityl oxide (MO) by H2S04 at 373 K. Finally the MO is hydrogenated to MIBK using Cu or Ni catalysts at 288 - 473 K and 3- 10 bar (3). 

One of the most thoroughly investigated aldol condensations is the selfcondensation of acetone. This is an important industrial reaction for the production of diacetone alcohol (DA) (Scheme 11), which is valuable as a chloride-free solvent and an intermediate in the synthesis of industrially important products such as mesityl oxide (MO), isophorone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and 3,5-xylenol. The reaction is exothermic, with the yield of DA decreasing with increasing reaction temperature it is usually performed with NaOH or KOH as a basic catalyst 118). 

Several cross-aldol condensations have been performed with alkaline earth metal oxides, including MgO, as a base catalyst. A general limitation of the cross-aldol condensation reactions is the formation of byproducts via the self-condensation of the carbonyl compounds, resulting in low selectivities for the cross-aldol condensation product. For example, the cross-condensation of heptanal with benzalde-hyde, which leads to jasminaldehyde (a-K-amylcinnamaldehyde), with a violet scent... 

The reaction is carried out in vapour phase (250°C) using a flow system (see methods section). This procedure turned out to be essential in order to mantain the hydrogen transfer as the main reaction pathway. A batch experiment carried out in an autoclave actually showed a wide range of condensation products besides some saturated ketone [6]. Reactions of ketones over oxide catalysts can lead to a variety of products due inter alia to aldol condensation, intramolecular dehydration and intermolecular disproportionation [16]. However, the presence of a good hydrogen donor such as a secondary alcohol and vapour phase conditions favour the transfer hydrogenation as the major reaction [16,17]. In our reaction conditions, products attributable to crotonic condensations and subsequent 1,4 Michael addition [18] were observed by g.l.c.-m.s. (Table 1). 

Acid Catalyzed. Although ketonic carbonyl groups are less reactive than aldehydic carbonyls in the presence of basic catalysts, this is not the case with acid catalysts. Thus acetone undergoes aldol addition in the presence of sulfuric acid to give mesityl oxide, which then condenses with a third molecule of acetone to give a mixture ofphorone (2,6-dimethyl-2,6-heptadien-4-one) and mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene). Ketones also condense with activated aromatic products in the presence of sulfuric acid to give coupled aromatic products. For example, acetone and phenol condense to bisphenol A (4,4 -isopropylidenediphenol), which is used in the manufacture of epoxy resins (qv) and polycarbonates (qv). 

Normally, Oppenauer oxidations are performed employing Al3+ cations as catalyst because aluminium alkoxides possess a good balance of a desired high hydride transfer capability versus a low propensity to promote undesired base-induced reactions, like aldol condensations and Tischtschenko reactions. In the reaction, as originally described by Oppenauer, aluminium t-butoxide is used as catalyst,4 because its high basicity allows a very favourable equilibrium towards the formation of the aluminium alkoxide of the alcohol whose oxidation is desired. However,... 

Some other catalytic events prompted by rhodium or ruthenium porphyrins are the following 1. Activation and catalytic aldol condensation of ketones with Rh(OEP)C104 under neutral and mild conditions [372], 2. Anti-Markovnikov hydration of olefins with NaBH4 and 02 in THF, a catalytic modification of hydroboration-oxidation of olefins, as exemplified by the one-pot conversion of 1-methylcyclohexene to ( )-2-methylcycIohexanol with 100% regioselectivity and up to 90% stereoselectivity [373]. 3. Photocatalytic liquid-phase dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol in the presence of RhCl(TPP) [374]. 4. Catalysis of the water gas shift reaction in water at 100 °C and 1 atm CO by [RuCO(TPPS4)H20]4 [375]. 5. Oxygen reduction catalyzed by carbon supported iridium chelates [376]. - Certainly these notes can only be hints of what can be expected from new noble metal porphyrin catalysts in the near future. 

Another example of cross-aldol condensation is the reaction between citral and acetone, which yields pseudoionone, an intermediate in the production of vitamin A. Noda et a/.[56] working at 398 K with a 1 1 molar ratio of reagents and 2 wt % of catalyst, obtained high conversions (98 %) with selectivities to pseudoionone close to 70 % with CaO and an Al-Mg mixed oxide catalyst these pseudoionone yields are greater than those reported for the homogeneous reaction. MgO exhibited poor activity, and under these conditions only 20 % citral conversion was obtained after 4 h in a batch reactor. Nevertheless, Climent et a/./571 working with 16 wt % MgO as a catalyst, a molar ratio of acetone to citral close to 3 and at 333 K, achieved 99 % conversion and 68 % selectivity to pseudoionone after 1 h. 

Aldehydes can arise by Reactions C, D, and E, and they can then react with each other by the aldol condensation. Amines (and particularly their salts), including peptones and egg albumin, are effective catalysts. Additional carbonyl compounds which can participate in the condensation may be derived by the oxidation of lipids. 

Several substituted diphenyl tellurium oxides were investigated as catalysts for the aldol condensation between benzaldehyde and tetralone. High catalytic activity is associated with electron-donating substituents in the phenyl rings. Methyl phenyl tellurium oxide had very low catalytic activity1. 

The smooth condensation of 2,2 -diacetylbiphenyl to dibenzotropone in the presence of bis[4-methoxyphenyl] tellurium oxide is remarkable in view of previous unsuccessful attempts to effect this cyclization with conventional aldol catalysts2. Diaryl telluroxides are poor catalysts for aldol condensations involving acidic methylene groups, because formation of tellurium ylides removes the catalyst2. 

Applications of HT-type catalysts, prepared by the above methods, have been reported in recent years for basic catalysis (polymerization of alkene oxides, aldol condensation), steam reforming of methane or naphtha, CO hydrogenation as in methanol and higher-alcohol synthesis, conversion of syngas to alkanes and alkenes, hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, oxidation reactions, and as a support for Ziegler-Natta catalysts (Table 2). 

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