Platinum-catalysed cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation in continuous flow?

RSC Advances Pub Date: 2015-09-09 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA14984C

Abstract

Platinum is one of the most widely used hydrogenation catalysts. Here we describe the translation of batch reactions to continuous flow, affording tunable C[double bond, length as m-dash]O versus C[double bond, length as m-dash]C hydrogenation over a Pt/SiO2 catalyst, resulting in high steady state activity and single-pass yields in the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol under mild conditions. Negligible catalyst deactivation occurs under extended flow operation due to removal of reactively-formed poisons from the reaction zone. Process intensification imparts a four-fold enhancement in cinnamyl alcohol productivity.

Graphical abstract: Platinum-catalysed cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation in continuous flow
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