Catalytic alkylation of acetone with ethanol over Pd/carbon catalyst in flow-through system via borrowing hydrogen route

Consecutive alkylation of acetone with ethanol as model reactants was studied in order to obtain biomass based fuels by continuous processing of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) mixture. Butanol, which can inevitably form as Guerbet side product in a self-aldol reaction of ethanol was not applied in our study as an initial component, in order to follow the complexity of the reaction mechanism. A flow-through reactor was applied with inert He or reducing H2 stream in the temperature range of 150-350 °C. Efficient catalysts containing Pd and base (K3PO4 or CsOH) crystallites were prepared applying commercial activated carbon (AC) support. The catalyst beds were pre-treated in H2 flow at 350 °C. Mono- or dialkylated ketones were formed with high yields and these products could be reduced only to alcohols over palladium.