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Dehydrogenation of Alcohols over Alumina‐Supported Silver Catalysts: The Role of Oxygen in Hydrogen Formation
Author(s) -
Liu Huihui,
Tan HuiRu,
Tok Eng Soon,
Jaenicke Stephan,
Chuah GaikKhuan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201501200
Subject(s) - dehydrogenation , catalysis , chemistry , hydrogen , oxygen , alcohol , photochemistry , benzaldehyde , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry
The acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols at low temperatures holds promise as a clean energy source and has been the subject of much research. In view of the thermodynamic limitations imposed by a positive Gibbs free energy, we examine the feasibility and extent of hydrogen formation from alcohol dehydrogenation using alumina‐supported Ag catalysts. The results showed that in a closed system at 120 °C, the conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde was limited by the available oxygen. The energetically demanding acceptorless route with hydrogen evolution contributed less than 2.5 % to the overall conversion. The presence of oxygen as an acceptor is vital for the progress of the reaction. In open systems even without an active influx of oxygen, alcohol dehydrogenation occurred readily but water was the main product rather than hydrogen.