Selectivity, catalyst definition

TS-1 is a material that perfectly fits the definition of single-site catalyst discussed in the previous Section. It is an active and selective catalyst in a number of low-temperature oxidation reactions with aqueous H2O2 as the oxidant. Such reactions include phenol hydroxylation [9,17], olefin epoxida-tion [9,10,14,17,40], alkane oxidation [11,17,20], oxidation of ammonia to hydroxylamine [14,17,18], cyclohexanone ammoximation [8,17,18,41], conversion of secondary amines to dialkylhydroxylamines [8,17], and conversion of secondary alcohols to ketones [9,17], (see Fig. 1). Few oxidation reactions with ozone and oxygen as oxidants have been investigated. 

Catalyst selectivity is somewhat meaningless unless the term is defined. There also are selective catalysts that do not meet the technical or practical definition of hydrogen selectivity. Such catalysts are sulfur-poisoned catalyst. Sulfided nickel catalyst produces high trans-isomers, has lower activity than conventional nickel, exhibits longer reaction times, and is used for specialty applications (e.g., coating fats and hard butters). 

If, for the purpose of comparison of substrate reactivities, we use the method of competitive reactions we are faced with the problem of whether the reactivities in a certain series of reactants (i.e. selectivities) should be characterized by the ratio of their rates measured separately [relations (12) and (13)], or whether they should be expressed by the rates measured during simultaneous transformation of two compounds which thus compete in adsorption for the free surface of the catalyst [relations (14) and (15)]. How these two definitions of reactivity may differ from one another will be shown later by the example of competitive hydrogenation of alkylphenols (Section IV.E, p. 42). This may also be demonstrated by the classical example of hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons on Raney nickel (48). In this case, the constants obtained by separate measurements of reaction rates for individual compounds lead to the reactivity order which is different from the order found on the basis of factor S, determined by the method of competitive reactions (Table II). Other examples of the change of reactivity, which may even result in the selective reaction of a strongly adsorbed reactant in competitive reactions (49, 50) have already been discussed (see p. 12). 

Another problem that required solving was the moderate yield obtained in the cyclopropanation reaction when only one equivalent of styrene was used. By increasing the amount of styrene up to its use as the reaction solvent, a noticeable effect on the selectivities was observed when laponite was used as the support [58]. The active role of the clay support was definitely estabhshed when the results in homogeneous and heterogeneous phases were compared (Table 9). These effects involved the reversal of the trans preference in solution to the cis preference with the laponite-supported catalyst in styrene, and also a reversal in the absolute configuration of the major cis enantiomer ob-... 

The catalysts that allow the production of maleic anhydride from n-butane with high selectivity, like (V0)2P207, are characterized by a strong acidity, that, like a strong basicity, favors the decomposition of alkoxides to give the olefin and the diene. The catalysts that allow the production of maleic anhydride, either from n-butane or from butenes and butadiene, necessarily have particular sites that allow the insertion of oxygen atoms in the 1,4-position of butadiene. These sites are definitely absent on combustion catalysts. 

In order to exemplify the potential of micro-channel reactors for thermal control, consider the oxidation of citraconic anhydride, which, for a specific catalyst material, has a pseudo-homogeneous reaction rate of 1.62 s at a temperature of 300 °C, corresponding to a reaction time-scale of 0.61 s. In a micro channel of 300 pm diameter filled with a mixture composed of N2/02/anhydride (79.9 20 0.1), the characteristic time-scale for heat exchange is 1.4 lO" s. In spite of an adiabatic temperature rise of 60 K related to such a reaction, the temperature increases by less than 0.5 K in the micro channel. Examples such as this show that micro reactors allow one to define temperature conditions very precisely due to fast removal and, in the case of endothermic reactions, addition of heat. On the one hand, this results in an increase in process safety, as discussed above. On the other hand, it allows a better definition of reaction conditions than with macroscopic equipment, thus allowing for a higher selectivity in chemical processes. 

Attempts to determine how the activity of the catalyst (or the selectivity which is, in a rough approximation, the ratio of reaction rates) depends upon the metal particle size have been undertaken for many decades. In 1962, one of the most important figures in catalysis research, M. Boudart, proposed a definition for structure sensitivity [4,5]. A heterogeneously catalyzed reaction is considered to be structure sensitive if its rate, referred to the number of active sites and, thus, expressed as turnover-frequency (TOF), depends on the particle size of the active component or a specific crystallographic orientation of the exposed catalyst surface. Boudart later expanded this model proposing that structure sensitivity is related to the number of (metal surface) atoms to which a crucial reaction intermediate is bound [6]. 

The TS-1 catalysed hydroxylation of phenol to a 1 1 mixture of catechol and hydroquinone (Fig. 2.16) was commercialized by Enichem (Romano et ai, 1990). This process offers definite advantages, such as higher selectivities at higher phenol conversions, compared to other catalytic systems. It also illustrates another interesting development the use of solid, recyclable catalysts for liquid phase (oxidation) processes to minimize waste production even further. 

Sphere> pellet > trilobe > hollow extrudate > wagon wheel/ minilith The definitive catalyst size selection will be a compromise between high reaction rate (small partiele, exotic shape), low pressure drop (large particle, exotic shape), large crushing strength... 

According to the classical definition of catalysis a catalyst does not cheinge during reaction. In practice this is not true during operation the catalyst loses activity, and often also selectivity and mechanical strength. Catalyst deactivation is a common phenomenon rather than exception. 

Addition of ammonium hydroxide and water were explored to evaluate their influence upon catalyst activity and selectivity. The data in this study suggest that there was little influence of ammonium hydroxide on reaction rate and selectivity. The data, however, were not sufficient to definitively define the role of these additives and investigation of these effects will be the subject of future exploration. Examination of Figure 3 may lead to the conclusion that water is actually harmful to the life of the catalyst but such a preliminary hypothesis is overly simplistic, acknowledging that the ammonium hydroxide additive comprises 70% water. 

There are three important aspects of the definition. First, a catalyst may increase or decrease the reaction rate. Second, a catalyst may influence the direction or selectivity of a reaction. Third, the amount of catalyst consumed by the reaction is negligible compared to the consumption of reactants. 

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis could be "tailored by the use of iron, cobalt and ruthenium carbonyl complexes deposited on faujasite Y-type zeolite as starting materials for the preparation of catalysts. Short chain hydrocarbons, i.e. in the C-j-Cq range are obtained. It appears that the formation and the stabilization of small metallic aggregates into the zeolite supercage are the prerequisite to induce a chain length limitation in the hydrocondensation of carbon monoxide. However, the control of this selectivity through either a definite particle size of the metal or a shape selectivity of the zeolite is still a matter of speculation. Further work is needed to solve this dilemna. 

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