Catalytic Dehydro-Condensation Reaction of Ethanol. V

Abstract

With an object of synthesis of n-butanol by condensation of ethanol, experiments on using of magnesia, zinc oxide, copper, and magnesia-copper mixture as catalyst have been carried out. Zinc oxide showed to be a good catalyst for dehydrogenation of ethanol and aldol condensation, but it showed a poor catalytic activity for reduction of aldol condensation product to n-butanol. Then the reaction products were a mixture of lower to higher aldehydes and the yield of n-butanol was extremely small. In the condensation of aldehyde, the copper catalyst accelerated strongly ester formation by the Tischenko reaction, but it showed a poor catalytic activity on reduction of crotonaldehyde to n-butanol. Then the main products were a mixture of esters. The magnesia catalyst showed the least activity for ethanol but it had the most selective activity for formation of n-butanol against above two. A coprecipitate of magnesia-copper catalyst could not maintain the merits of each and its activity was rather inferior than magnesia.