Use of palladium catalysts on acidic mesoporous carbon supports optionally with a second metal component allows for efficient and practical reductive etherification procedures under medium hydrogen pressure. The catalyst performance favorably compares with several commercial catalysts. A variety of products have been prepared via reductive etherification of linear, branched, and cyclic aldehydes, dialdehydes, levulinic acid and other ketones with glycerin and glycols. Practical isolation protocols using extractions and/or vacuum distillations have resulted in good to excellent product yields of up to 88%. The catalyst behavior has been studied upon reuse in five consecutive reactions after simple filtration and solvent washing. A reaction mechanism is proposed based on the identified intermediates and byproducts.

Renewable products and catalyst studies in reductive etherification of carbonyl compounds with polyols

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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