Impact of Solvent on Co/SiO2 Activity and Selectivity for the Synthesis of n-Butylamine from Butyronitrile Hydrogenation

SEGOBIA DARIO; TRASARTI ANDRES; APESTEGUIA CARLOS

CATALYSIS COMMUNICATIONS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 62 p. 62 - 66

1566-7367

The impact of solvent on Co(9.8%)/SiO2 activity and selectivity for the synthesis of n-butylamine from the liquid-phase butyronitrile hydrogenation was investigated at 373 K and 13 bar using methanol, benzene, toluene and cyclohexane as solvents. In non-polar solvents, the yield of nbutylamine increased from 60% to 79% following the order cyclohexane < toluene < benzene. Nevertheless, the highest n-butylamine yield (91%) was obtained in methanol, a protic solvent. The solvent effect on the catalyst performance was interpreted by considering: i) the solvent-catalyst interaction strength that was investigated by temperature-programmed desorption of solvents characterized by mass spectrometry; ii) the solvent polarity and its ability for H-bond formation with n-butylamine