CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF ALCOHOLS .28. PRODUCT SELECTIVITIES FOR 2-METHYLCYCLOHEXANOL CONVERSION WITH METAL-OXIDE CATALYSTS

Metal oxides exhibit a range of selectivities (dehydration percentage, alkene distribution and alcohol isomerization) for the conversion of a 2-methylcyclohexanol isomer. For many metal oxide catalysts, trans-2-methylcyclohexanol produces a predominance of the less stable 3-methylcyclohexene isomer. The grouping of metal oxides based on the production of the less stable alkene isomers from 2-octanol is similar to that for trans-2-methylcyclohexanol. It is proposed that the same catalytic properties determine the selectivity for both reactants: for smaller metal cations the product selectivity is determined by steric crowding in the transition state, and for the larger cations the product selectivity is determined by the basicity of the oxygen anion and the relative acidity of the β-hydrogens that are eliminated to produce water. © 1992.