Effects of organic and inorganic initiator-catalysts on the liquid-phase oxidation of 2-isopropylnaphthalene

• Published in: Applied catalysis. A, General General, 2000-05, Vol.197 (2), p.279-287
• Main Authors: Gül Boyacı́, Fatma, Takaç, Serpil, Özdamar, Tunçer H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2-Isopropylnaphthalanehydroperoxide; Catalysis; Catalyst; Catalytic reactions; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Free-radical chain-reaction mechanism; General and physical chemistry; Initiator; Oxidation of 2-isopropylnaphthalene; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
• ISSN: 0926-860X; 1873-3875
• DOI: 10.1016/S0926-860X(99)00489-5

In the liquid-phase oxidation of 2-isopropylnaphthalene (2-IPN) that occurs through a free-radical chain-reaction mechanism, the initiator-catalyst of the reaction system affects the oxidation rate and product distribution. The desired product of the oxidation of 2-IPN is 2-isopropylnaphthalenehydroperoxide (2-IPNHP); however, by-products such as dimethyl-2-naphthyl-carbinol and acetonaphthone can also be produced depending on the reaction conditions. In the present study, we investigated the effects of alkaline earth metal hydroxides, i.e. Ba(OH) 2, Ca(OH) 2, and Mg(OH) 2; an inorganic peroxide, i.e. H 2O 2; organic peroxides, i.e. cumenehydroperoxide and benzoyl peroxide, and the UV radiation separately on the 2-IPN oxidation rate and product distribution. In this context, the data were compared with those obtained by alkali metal hydroxides, i.e. KOH, NaOH and LiOH, and by 2-IPNHP; and further, the results were explained through the reactions that occur in the oxidation reactor. Among inorganic peroxides, organic peroxides, UV-radiation, alkaline earth metal hydroxides and alkali metal hydroxides, the oxidation of 2-IPN to 2-IPNHP favours the last two groups of initiator-catalysts where KOH and Ba(OH) 2 produced 1.372 and 1.080 mol dm −3 2-IPNHP from 6.9 mol dm −3 2-IPN with 73% and 67% 2-IPNHP selectivity, respectively.