TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of alkali carbonates on benzyl phenyl ether cleavage pathways in superheated water
AU - Roberts, Virginia
AU - Fendt, Sebastian
AU - Lemonidou, Angeliki A.
AU - Li, Xuebing
AU - Lercher, Johannes A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Financial support from FNR (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V.) under project ‘Catalyzed and non-catalyzed hydrothermolysis of Lignin and conversion of reaction products to phenol-formaldehyde-condensation products’ and discussions in the framework of the IDECAT are gratefully acknowledged.
PY - 2010/3/12
Y1 - 2010/3/12
N2 - Benzyl phenyl ether conversion in superheated water yields a broad product distribution. In addition to the hydrolysis products, phenol and benzyl alcohol, a large amount of consecutive products are formed depending on the operating conditions. The influence of Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3 on these reactions is explored between 270 and 370 °C. It is shown that high selectivity towards hydrolysis can be achieved at low temperatures and short reaction times. At higher severities the yields of phenol and especially benzyl alcohol decrease and higher molecular weight compounds are formed by consecutive reactions. Alkali carbonates effect this distribution by decreasing the concentration of protons in the system and by providing and enhancing parallel and secondary reaction mechanisms. The yields of toluene, 2 and 4-benzyl phenol are strongly enhanced in the presence of an alkali carbonate, by formation of a cation-BPE adduct in which the ether bond is strongly polarized.
AB - Benzyl phenyl ether conversion in superheated water yields a broad product distribution. In addition to the hydrolysis products, phenol and benzyl alcohol, a large amount of consecutive products are formed depending on the operating conditions. The influence of Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3 on these reactions is explored between 270 and 370 °C. It is shown that high selectivity towards hydrolysis can be achieved at low temperatures and short reaction times. At higher severities the yields of phenol and especially benzyl alcohol decrease and higher molecular weight compounds are formed by consecutive reactions. Alkali carbonates effect this distribution by decreasing the concentration of protons in the system and by providing and enhancing parallel and secondary reaction mechanisms. The yields of toluene, 2 and 4-benzyl phenol are strongly enhanced in the presence of an alkali carbonate, by formation of a cation-BPE adduct in which the ether bond is strongly polarized.
KW - Alkali carbonate
KW - Benzyl phenyl ether
KW - Cleavage
KW - Hydrolysis
KW - Water
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=76749091382&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apcatb.2009.12.010
DO - 10.1016/j.apcatb.2009.12.010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:76749091382
SN - 0926-3373
VL - 95
SP - 71
EP - 77
JO - Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
JF - Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
IS - 1-2
ER -