Mild temperature palladium-catalyzed ammoxidation of ethanol to acetonitrile

• The selective Pd catalyzed ammoxidation of ethanol to acetonitrile is demonstrated.
• Acetonitrile yield is displayed to be a function of Pd morphology.
• Catalysts are active at low temperature (150 °C) but deactivate due to adsorption of by-products.
• Mild temperature operating conditions are defined for the stable, high yielding production of acetonitrile from ethanol.

The ammoxidation of ethanol is investigated as a renewable process for the production of acetonitrile from a bio-feedstock. Palladium catalysts are shown to be active and very selective (>99%) to this reaction at moderate to low temperatures (150–240 °C), with acetonitrile yields considered a function of Pd morphology. Further investigations reveal that the stability of these catalysts is influenced by an unselective product, and that any deactivation observed is reversible. Interpretation of this deactivation allows operating conditions to be defined for the stable, high yielding production of acetonitrile from ethanol.

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