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HOMOGENEOUS CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBONS IN ALTERNATIVE SOLVENTS
Citation:
Gonzalez*, M A. AND T Becker**. HOMOGENEOUS CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBONS IN ALTERNATIVE SOLVENTS. Presented at AIChE National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, November 15 - 19, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public
Description:
Homogeneous Catalytic Oxidations of Hydrocarbons in Alternative Solvent Systems
Michael A. Gonzalez* and Thomas M. Becker, Sustainable Technology Division, Office of Research and Development; United States Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Mail Stop 466, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
gonzalez.michael@epa.gov
The US EPA is in pursuit of green oxidation processes as a means of developing new, cost-effective, environmentally benign systems to produce desired products and eliminate/reduce unwanted by-products and wastes. One area of interest is the design of new catalysts for the oxidation of hydrocarbons that employ environmentally friendly oxidants such as H2O2 or molecular oxygen. We have successfully designed a series of new catalytic precursors, green oxidants, which assist in the oxidization of hydrocarbons in acetonitrile. One can further enhance the benign nature of this oxidation by exploring the use of alternative solvents.
Industrial solvents, whose continued use raises concern for worker health and toxins in the environment, need to be replaced in a cost-effective manner. PARIS II is a software tool created by the US EPA to address this need. The acronym, PARIS II, represents Program for Assisting the Replacement of Industrial Solvents, Version 2. This software tool identifies pure chemicals or designs mixtures that can serve as alternatives to more hazardous substances currently in use. The greener solvents formulated by PARIS II have improved environmental properties, but can perform as well as the solvents they were designed to replace.
The development and use of specifically designed Fe and Mn catalysts for homogeneous air oxidations of alkanes have been studied in acetonitrile. As a result, relatively benign operating temperatures and pressures have been investigated to maximize conversion and selectivities for the oxidation of cyclohexane as well as other hydrocarbons.
Continuing with this overall Green Chemistry approach, the replacement of acetonitrile by alternative solvent mixtures generated by PARIS II (Program for Assisting the Replacement of Industrial Solvents, Version II) was performed. The conversion and selectivity results for these catalyzed hydrocarbon oxidations in alternative solvent systems will be presented.