Formaldehyde, methanol and methyl formate from formic acid reaction over supported metal catalysts

•The formation of secondary products was observed in the reaction of formic acid.•We propose a reaction scheme that explains the formation of secondary products.•A direct quantification of H2 is necessary for correct selectivity results.

The catalytic gas-phase decomposition of formic acid was studied over Au/Al2O3 and Pt/SBA-15 to investigate the formation of products other than H2, CO2, CO and H2O. Formaldehyde, methanol and methyl formate were detected and identified as secondary products. Two calculation methods for H2 selectivity (direct and indirect) were compared and assessed in terms of their validity at different temperatures, establishing that a direct quantification of H2 is necessary for correct results. Based on selectivity trends of all the detected products a reaction scheme is proposed for the decomposition of formic acid and formation of formaldehyde, methanol and methyl formate.

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