Allyl Alcohol oxidation to Acrolein through heterogeneous catalysis

Acrolein is a valuable organic compound used in various applications like resins and pharmaceuticals, with growing demand. The conventional production method, which involves oxidizing propylene, poses environmental challenges and sustainability issues. This thesis proposes an alternative method using allyl alcohol, derived from renewable biomass, which aims to be more sustainable and potentially cost-effective. A key challenge with this method is achieving high selectivity for acrolein, as overoxidation leads to unwanted byproducts. To address this, the study synthesizes eleven catalysts (both monometallic and bimetallic) supported on Al2O3/SiO2, with varying metal loadings. The metal loading used is 1 wt.% and 0.5 wt.%, with a higher percentage in Pd (0.80%) and a smaller in Au, Rh and Co (0.20%). These catalysts are tested in a high-throughput SPR reactor under different conditions to optimize selectivity, yield, and carbon balance. The most effective catalysts are further evaluated in a larger-scale Top Industry autoclave. Comprehensive characterization techniques like XRF, XRD, and TEM are employed to analyze the catalysts’ composition, structure, and morphology, which are essential for understanding their catalytic efficiency.