Kinetics of Lab Prepared Manganese Oxide Catalyzed Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol in the Liquid Phase

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe oxidation of benzyl alcohol in the liquid phase was studied over manganese oxide catalyst using molecular oxygen as an oxidant. Manganese oxide was prepared by a mechanochemical process in solid state and was characterized by chemical and physical techniques. The catalytic performance of manganese oxide was explored by carrying out the oxidation of benzyl alcohol at 323–373 K temperature and 34–101 kPa partial pressure of oxygen. Benzaldehyde and benzoic acid were identified as the reaction products. Typical batch reactor kinetic data were obtained and fitted to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood, Eley–Rideal, and Mars–van Krevelene models of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions. The Langmuir–Hinshelwood model was found to give a better fit. Adsorption of benzyl alcohol at the surface of the catalyst followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The heat of adsorption for benzyl alcohol was determined as –18.14 kJ mol−1. The adsorption of oxygen followed the Temkin adsorption isotherm. The maximum heat of adsorption for oxygen was –31.12 kJ mol−1. The value of activation energy was 71.18 kJ mol−1, which was apparently free from the influence of the heat of adsorption of both benzyl alcohol and oxygen.