“Synthesis of Pseudoionones by Aldol Condensation of Citral with Acetone on Li-modified MgO Catalysts”

VERÓNICA K. DÍEZ; JUANA I. DI COSIMO; CARLOS R. APESTEGUÍA

Orlando, Florida, Estados Unidos

Congreso; 21st. Conference on Catalysis of Organic Reactions; 2006

Organic Reactions Catalysis Society

The liquid-phase synthesis of pseudoionones by aldol condensation of citral with acetone was studied on MgO samples containing between 0.13 and 2.6 wt. % of Li+. The Li+ addition to MgO up to about 0.5 % increased the density of strong O2- basic sites, but increasing the Li+ amount further diminished the sample basicity.   Formation of pseudoionones increased with the sample basicity: the higher the density of strong basic sites the higher the pseudoionone yields. Thus, Li-MgO samples containing the highest density of O2- sites were the most active catalysts for producing pseudoionones.