Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
5 years ago

Selectivity Engineering in Synthesis of Thymol Using Sulfated ZrO2–TiO2

Selectivity Engineering in Synthesis of Thymol Using Sulfated ZrO2–TiO2
Radhika S. Malkar, Ganapati D. Yadav
Selective synthesis of thymol (6-isopropyl-3-methylphenol), a perfumery chemical, is challenging and was studied in this work by a continuous vapor phase alkylation of m-cresol using isopropyl alcohol over different solid acids. A series of novel zirconia–titania mixed sulfated oxides were prepared by the hydrothermal method and tested for isopropylation of m-cresol to prepare thymol. A sulfated catalyst with 2:1 mol ratio for zirconia/titania showed the best conversion and selectivity for thymol in a continuous fixed bed vapor phase reactor. The catalyst is stable and active for a long period of time, up to 20 h (TOS). Isopropylation of m-cresol was carried out in a continuous fixed bed vapor phase reactor under N2 as a carrier gas, 6.72/h WHSV, and 1:3 mol ratio of m-cresol to IPA at 220 °C. Reaction mechanism and kinetic model were developed. The reaction is kinetically controlled having an activation energy of 8.27 kcal/mol.

Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.7b01454

DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.7b01454

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