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A comparison of the catalytic hydrogenation of 2-amylanthraquinone and 2-ethylanthraquinone over a Pd/Al2O3 catalyst

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Abstract

The hydrogenation of 2-ethylanthraquinone (eAQ), 2-tert-amylanthraquinone (taAQ) and their mixtures with molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 to the corresponding hydroquinones (eAQH2 and taAQH2) were studied over a Pd/Al2O3 catalyst in a semi-batch slurry reactor at 60 °C and at 0.3 MPa. Compared to eAQ, TaAQ exhibited a significantly slower hydrogenation rate (about half) but had a higher maximum yield of H2O2 and a smaller amount of degradation products. This can be ascribed to the longer and branched side chain in taAQ, which limits its accessibility to the Pd surface and its diffusion through the pores of the catalyst. Density functional theory calculations showed that it is more difficult for taAQ to adsorb onto a Pd (111) surface than for eAQ. The hydrogenation of the eAQ/taAQ mixtures had the slowest rates, lowest H2O2 yields and the highest amounts of degradation products.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21676184).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Enxian Yuan & Li Wang

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China

    Li Wang

  3. School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Xiangwei Ren & Wentao Zhao

Authors
  1. Enxian Yuan
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  2. Xiangwei Ren
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  3. Li Wang
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  4. Wentao Zhao
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Correspondence to Li Wang.

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Yuan, E., Ren, X., Wang, L. et al. A comparison of the catalytic hydrogenation of 2-amylanthraquinone and 2-ethylanthraquinone over a Pd/Al2O3 catalyst. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng. 11, 177–184 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-016-1604-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-016-1604-0

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