CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF ALCOHOLS AND AMINES USING METAL NITRIDE CATALYSTS

High surface area metal nitrides of Mo, W and V are very active and selective alcohol dehydration catalysts and retain the bulk nitride structure even after 30 hours or longer exposure to water generated during alcohol dehydration. Unlike some of the corresponding metal oxides, the nitrides are not selective for any particular octene isomer. These catalysts were much less active for the analogous reaction of deamination of 2-octylamine to produce ammonia and octenes; furthermore, condensation to produce di- and tri-octylamines was more rapid than alkene production. These catalysts were very inactive, in comparison to typical Pt-SiO2 catalysts, for dehydrogenating cyclohexene.