Fabrication of Pd-based metal-acid-alkali multifunctional catalysts for one-pot synthesis of MIBK

Abstract

The one-pot synthesis of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) from acetone using multifunctional catalysts is an important sustainable organic synthesis method with high atom and energy efficiency. Herein. we report a series of Pd supported on mixed metal oxide (MMO) catalysts with controllable acidic/basic/metallic sites on the surface. We study the relationship between the nature, synergy, and proximity of active sites and the catalytic performance of the multifunctional catalyst in the tandem reaction, in detail. In the existence of Lewis acid and base sites, the catalysts with medium-strength acidic/basic sites show preferred activity and/or MIBK selectivity. For multifunctional catalysts, the catalytic properties are more than just a collection of active sites, and the Pd/Mg3Al-MMO catalyst possessing 0.1% Pd loading and ~0.4 acid/base molar ratio exhibits the optimal 42.1% acetone conversion and 37.2% MIBK yield, which is among the best reported so far for this tandem reaction under similar conditions. Moreover, the proximity test indicates that the intimate distance between acidic/basic/metallic sites can greatly shorten the diffusion time of the intermediate species from each active site, leading to an enhancement in the catalytic performance.