Highly selective synthesis of t-butyl- p-cresol (TBC) by t-butylation of p-cresol with t-butyl alcohol over microporous and mesoporous catalysts

• Published in: Journal of molecular catalysis. A, Chemical Chemical, 2007-03, Vol.264 (1), p.44-49
• Main Authors: Selvaraj, M., Sinha, P.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acidity; Catalysis; Catalytic activity; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Conversion of p-cresol; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Porous materials; Recyclability; Selectivity of TBC; Synthesis of solid acid catalysts; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
• ISSN: 1381-1169; 1873-314X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molcata.2006.08.035

A novel mesoporous Zn–Al-MCM-41 is found to be a highly active and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst suitable for the selective synthesis of TBC by t-butylation of p-cresol with butyl alcohol having much higher acidity and activity than other catalysts, such as Al-MCM-41(21), USY, Hβ, H-ZSM-5 and H-mordenite. ▪ A much green synthesis method is discovered for the synthesis of t-butyl- p-cresol (TBC), an important used as antioxidant in food industries and the basic raw material for the manufacture of oil-soluble phenol–formaldehyde resins. The TBC is synthesized with a conversion (93.2%) and selectivity (98.6%) through a heterogeneous t-butylation of p-cresol with t-butyl alcohol ( t-BuOH) in the liquid phase over mild strong acid catalyst, Zn–Al-MCM-41(75). The catalytic results have also compared with those obtained using other Zn–Al-MCM-41, Al-MCM-41, HY, Hβ, H-mordenite and H-ZSM-5 zeolites. Based on the catalytic results, Zn–Al-MCM-41(75) is found to be a highly active and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for selective synthesis of TBC.