Bronsted Acid Catalyzed Dehydration of Neat Supercritical tert-Butanol in a Capillary Micro-Reactor
Dehydration of supercritical t-butanol to yield 2-methyl-propene was observed to occur rapidly and in high yield at elevated pressures without addition of a catalyst. A capillary micro-reactor was used to carry out the reaction at pressures up to 3.1 kbar. The products were characterized in-situ using FTIR, GC-MS and NMR. The dehydration reaction is proposed to occur by a self-catalyzed Bronsted acid mechanism. An addition driving force for the reaction was the phase separation of the 2-methyl-propene product. Self-catalyzed dehydration of t-butanol is a limiting factor for operations in supercritical t-butanol, but it implies the t-butanol may be employed as a self-neutralizing catalyst under these conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 944780
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-45617; KC0302020
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 37(1):102-106, Journal Name: Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 37(1):102-106 Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 37; ISSN JSFLEH; ISSN 0896-8446
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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