METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF STYRENES

PCT No. PCT/EP98/00244 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 27, 1999 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 27, 1999 PCT Filed Jan. 17, 1998 PCT Pub. No. WO98/32719 PCT Pub. Date Jul. 30, 1998This invention relates to a method for the selective preparation of a styrene of formula (1) by reacting an acetophenone of formula (1) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst containing one of several oxides, in particular metal oxides, wherein the oxide contains an element form the groups Ia, IIa, IIIa, IVa, VIa, Ib, IIb, IVb, Vb, VIb, and/or VIII or an element from the lanthanide group. The catalyst contains preferably on or several oxides of the formula ZnM1bM2cOx, where M1 stands for at least one element from the Al, Zr, Ti and Si group, M2 stands for at least one element from the Cd, Cu, Ag, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, Mo, Ta, Sc, W, V, Nb, Hf, Yt, B, In, Zn, Pb, Bi Se, Ga, Ge, Sb, As, Te group, or an element from the lanthanides, b=0-20, c=0-3, x corresponds to the number of oxygen atoms required for stoechiometric compensation, which results in accordance with the oxidation states of Zn, M1 and M2 or oxides of formula M32M4O4, wherein M3 is an element with an oxidation state I, II or III and M4 is an element with oxidation state II, III or VI.