Hydrogenation of bisphenol A – Using a mesoporous silica based nano ruthenium catalyst Ru/MCM-41 and water as the solvent

A green approach to the hydrogenation of bisphenol A (BPA) including the selection of catalysts and solvents was demonstrated in this report. The catalyst preparation was also using a simple and green method for synthesizing a silica-supported ruthenium catalyst (Ru/MCM-41) in supercritical carbon dioxide. The characterizations of the Ru/MCM-41 nanocomposites were preformed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The nanoparticles have an average size of 3.4 nm which is smaller than the pore size of MCM-41. The hydrogenation of BPA was carried out in a hydrogen pressure of 50 bars and a temperature range from 75 to 85 °C with different catalysts and solvents combinations. It was found that using the synthesized catalyst Ru/MCM-41 in water medium could achieve the highest efficiency and durability for the hydrogenation of BPA.

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► Hydrogenation of water insoluble compounds bisphenol A and bisphenol F in water using a MCM-41-supported ruthenium catalyst (Ru/MCM-41) was studied.
► The catalyst Ru/MCM-41 with an average size of 3.4 nm of ruthenium nanoparticles was synthesized by supercritical fluid deposition technique.
► Catalytic activity and durability of Ru/MCM-41 were superior to a commercial carbon supported catalyst due to better dispersion and recyclability of silica in water.