Dominique Vanhove, Michel Blanchard
1975
Citations
0
Influential Citations
33
Citations
Journal
Journal of Catalysis
Abstract
Abstract Oxidation of o -xylene to phthalic anhydride over V 2 O 5 -TiO 2 catalyst has been studied in order to detect the intermediates of this conversion. The oxidation of alcohols such as o -methylbenzyl alcohol and o -xylene-α,α′-diol yields the same compounds as those obtained from the hydrocarbon in the same conditions, whereas oxidation of o -toluic acid yields mainly the lactone, phthalide. Moreover, a competitive oxidation of inactive o -methylbenzyl alcohol, and o -xylene (methyl- 14 C) results in the formation of o -tolualdehyde, phthalide, and phthalic anhydride, having different specific radioactivities, and demonstrates that different reaction paths are involved. A mechanism is proposed in which the selective incorporation of oxygen occurs after abstraction of one hydrogen atom so as to produce a surface alcoholate ion, whereas degradation into maleic anhydrides and carbon oxides arises from substitution of hydrogen atoms of the aromatic nucleus by oxygen.