INFLUENCES OF ORGANIC-BASES ON THE VAPOR-PHASE BECKMANN REARRANGEMENT CATALYZED BY PENTASIL-TYPE ZEOLITE

The influences of organic bases on the vapor phase Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime to epsilon-caprolactam catalyzed by pentasil zeolite were examined. Almost no influence was observed with amines, and furthermore, even the excess amount of n-Pr3N (utilized as a solvent for oxime) did not inhibit the reaction greatly. These results indicate that the active site is not the acidic one as generally considered but the neutral silanol group.