Ionone synthesis by cyclization of pseudoionone on silica-supported heteropolyacid catalysts

V.K. DÍEZ; BJ MARCOS,; C.R. APESTEGUÍA; J.I. DI COSIMO

APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam ; Año: 2009 vol. 358 p. 95 - 102

0926-860X

The liquid-phase cyclization of pseudoionone to ionones (a, b and g isomers) was studied on silica-supported heteropolyacid (HPA) catalysts containing between 18.8 and 58.5 % HPA. The catalyst surface and structural properties were thoroughly characterized by several techniques. The density, chemical nature and strength distribution of the surface acid sites were determined by adsorbing and monitoring by temperature-programmed desorption and infrared spectroscopy probe molecules such as NH3 and pyridine. The pseudoionone conversion to ionones increased linearly with the Brønsted acid site density until the HPA loading approached to the monolayer saturation coverage. For higher HPA contents, the pseudoionone adsorption and conversion were hampered because of spatial constraints that diminished the reactant accessibility to the proton active sites. The highest ionone yield, 79 %, was obtained on a 58.5 wt. % HPA/SiO2 catalyst at 383 K and is comparable  to the best values reported in literature for the homogeneously-catalyzed reaction using sulfuric acid.  Ionone isomers (a, b, g) were primary products, but g-ionone was isomerized to a-ionone while b-ionone remained constant with time on stream.  The ionone isomer distribution was modified by varying both the temperature and the reaction time.