Vapor phase synthesis of N-butylaniline over copper-based catalysts

Cu-based catalysts, such as Cu/SiO2, Cu/γ-Al2O3 and Cu/SiO2-Al2O3, for the vapor phase synthesis of N-butylaniline from aniline and 1-butanol were investigated and the catalysts were characterized by BET, H2-TPR, XRD and NH3-TPD techniques. The results indicated that the dispersion of copper on support was greatly influenced by the interaction between Cu and the support. Copper-based catalyst with larger amounts of acidic sites did not favor the synthesis of N-butylaniline because more by-products were produced. Among the tested catalysts, Cu/SiO2 showed excellent catalytic activity and stability with a yield of N-butylaniline above 90% during the reaction time of 200 h.