Highly chemoselective hydrogenation of 2-ethylanthraquinone to 2-ethylanthrahydroquinone catalyzed by palladium metal dispersed inside highly lipophilic functional resins.
Most hydrogen peroxide is currently produced by the selective hydrogenation of 2-ethylanthraquinone (EAQ) to 2-ethylanthrahydroquinone (EAHQ), followed by treatment with dioxygen; this produces hydrogen peroxide and regenerates 2-ethylanthraquinone. We have developed novel catalysts for this process that are based on palladium supported on very lipophilic functional resins and that are able to promote a chemoselectivity for EAHQ slightly but definitely superior to that provided by an industrial catalyst under identical conditions. This finding demonstrates the potential of variations of the lipophilic/hydrophilic character of the support as a tool for the improvement of the chemoselectivity of resin-based metal catalysts.
Biffis
Andrea
A
Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica Metallorganica ed Analitica Università di Padova, Centro per lo Studio della Stabilità e Reattività dei Composti di Coordinazione, C.N.R. Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy. andrea.biffis@unipd.it
Ricoveri
Rossana
R
Campestrini
Sandro
S
Kralik
Milan
M
Jeràbek
Karel
K
Corain
Benedetto
B