Tailoring Raney-catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of butyronitrile to n-butylamine

• Published in: Journal of catalysis Vol. 245; no. 1; pp. 237 - 248
• Main Authors: Chojecki, Adam, Veprek-Heijman, Maritza, Müller, Thomas E., Schärringer, Peter, Veprek, Stan, Lercher, Johannes A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 2007; Elsevier; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Adsorption; Adsorption constant; Amine; Catalysis; Catalysts; Chemistry; Cobalt; Condensation reaction; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Hydrogenation; Lewis acid site; Lithium hydroxide; Nickel; Nitrile; Polarization effect; Raney-catalyst; Selectivity; Surface modification; Surface physical chemistry; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Surface modification; Nitrile; Condensation reaction; Adsorption constant; Selectivity; Hydrogenation; Cobalt; Amine; Lewis acid site; Polarization effect; Raney-catalyst; Lithium hydroxide; Nickel; Lewis acid; Modification; Polarization; Lewis site; Butylamine; Acidic site; Transition metal; Heterogeneous catalysis; Adsorption; Catalyst
• ISSN: 0021-9517; 1090-2694
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcat.2006.10.012

The influence of LiOH promotion on Co-based Raney-catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of butyronitrile to n-butylamine was explored. Doping with LiOH led to an increase in the fraction of metallic surface area and reduced concentration of Lewis acid sites resulting from alumina particles decorating the metal surface. Two factors were found to be crucial to achieving high selectivity to primary amines. These factors include a low adsorption constant of n-butylamine relative to butyronitrile (because adsorbed butylamine is necessary for byproduct formation) and a low concentration of Lewis acid sites catalyzing condensation reactions.