| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65761 | Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical | 2013 | 8 Pages |
•Alkylation of catechol with tert-butyl alcohol with 15% WO3/ZrO2.•99% conversion of catechol is observed at 413 K within 30 min.•99% selectivity towards 4-tert-butyl catechol was also observed.•15% WO3/ZrO2 is a very effective catalyst for 4-TBC synthesis.
The liquid phase alkylation of catechol with tert-butyl alcohol was carried out over a solid acid catalyst—WOx/ZrO2. p-tert-Butyl catechol (4-TBC) was the predominant product with 4,6-di-tert-butyl catechol as the minor product. A systematic study has been carried out to understand the effect of various parameters such as WO3 loading, mole ratio of the reactants, temperature and catalyst loading. The experimental results indicated that under optimized condition of 1:1 mole ratio of catechol to tert-butyl alcohol at 413 K within 30 min, both the conversion for catechol and selectivity towards 4-TBC was 99%. The Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson (LHHW) surface reaction controlled model has been used for kinetic studies.
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