Carbon-Supported Mg–Al Oxide Hybrid Catalysts for Aqueous Ethanol Conversion into 1‑Butanol in a Flow Reactor

Carbon-supported Mg–Al oxide (hydrotalcite-derived) hybrid catalysts for aqueous ethanol conversion into 1-butanol were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature nitrogen ad­(de)­sorption, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, and temperature-programmed desorption of NH3, CO2, and H2O. Enhanced catalytic activity and stability of operation over time on stream of the hybrid catalysts versus Mg–Al oxides were achieved using both rectified and aqueous ethanol as feed. Redistribution of the active sites of the Mg–Al oxide phase over a highly dispersed support and increasing their availability for the reagents were suggested to be the causes of the enhanced activity of the hybrid catalysts.