Kinetics, Mechanism and Simulation of Hydrogen Transfer Reaction of α,
β-Unsaturated Aldehydes to Allylic Alcohols
Abstract
Homogeneous hydrogen transfer reactions of methacrolein (MAL) and
isopropanol (IPA) to methallyl alcohol (MAA) were investigated in batch
reactor (Conv.89%, Select 93.1%) and tubular reactor (Conv.88.1%,
Select 95%) using aluminum isopropoxide (Al(OPri)3) as catalyst.
Kinetic experiments on hydrogen transfer reactions and reaction order
were investigated in batch reactor and tubular reactor. Response surface
methodology (RAM) was applied to optimize the optimum reaction
conditions of hydrogen transfer reaction. Purification process of MAA
from product mixture after hydrogen transfer reaction was simulated with
Aspen Plus software, theoretical stages, reflux ratio and feed stage of
distillation tower were optimized. Density Functional Theory (DFT) was
used to investigate viable reaction pathway and to probe the catalytic
mechanism between reactants and catalyst, including dehydrogenation,
coupling and hydrogenation reaction. Microscopic mechanisms of hydrogen
transfer reaction from MAA to MAL were acquired in detail and could be
easily extended to other series of hydrogen transfer reaction.