Na promotion of Pd/MgO catalysts for low-pressure one-step synthesis of MIBK from acetone + H2 Original Research Article

Highly selective one-step synthesis of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) from acetone and hydrogen at 200°C and 1 atm has been developed utilizing magnesia-supported palladium catalysts. Sodium vapor deposition on magnesia followed by impregnation with tetraamine palladium (II) chloride apparently enhances the catalyst basicity as compared with that of magnesia supported palladium, resulting in a great increase of both acetone conversion and MIBK yield. Such a catalyst exhibits good stability, high activity and MIBK selectivity; it gives 47–64% conversion, 50–65% MIBK selectivity and 31–33% MIBK yield during a period of 8 h on stream.