Supported Molybdenum Catalysts for Deoxydehydration: An access to olefinic special and fine chemicals from diols and polyols

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Regina Palkovits
• Subject Area: Technical Chemistry
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 405458885

The use of biomass, in particular for specialty or fine chemicals, requires selective methods of defunctionalization. Current deoxygenation methods often lead to a significant C-C bond breakage of the raw materials. While it is also possible to utilize complex product mixtures in the production of bulk chemicals, a mild, stepwise deoxygenation with high selectivity appears advantageous for the production of specialty and fine chemicals. As a reaction class with great potential, the deoxydehydration (DODH) has been found in recent years, in which olefins can be prepared stereoselectively from diols. The key challenge in furthering the importance of the reaction is to develop cost-effective active, selective and stable catalysts that can ultimately be used in a technical process. Therefore, research is needed to develop suitable molybdenum catalysts instead of the expensive rhenium, and to allow them to react on solid catalysts instead of molecular compounds. All in all, promising transformations to novel compounds will become accessible.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants