Preparation of 2-phenylethanol by catalytic selective hydrogenation of styrene oxide using palladium catalysts

Gas-phase hydrogenation of styrene oxide to obtain 2-phenylethanol (2-PEA) using palladium catalysts on different supports was studied. The acid-base nature of the support played an important role in the selectivity. Acid support such as Al2O3 or activated carbon favoured the formation of isomerization products, while a basic support such as MgO showed a high selectivity to 2-PEA.