Abstract
A sequence of two organic reactions involving gas-phase heterogeneous catalysis suitable for use as a laboratory experiment is outlined. In the first reaction, 2-propanol is converted to propene using alumina beads as the catalyst. The product gas is purified with a mini-cold trap. In the second reaction, propene is hydrogenated to propane using a palladium catalyst in nearly 100% yield. The experiment demonstrates continuous-flow, closed-system gas-phase reactions of fundamental importance in chemical industry. It also demonstrates the power of NMR in the context for which it actually is used by organic and inorganic chemists: structural confirmation and analysis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 421-424 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Journal of chemical education |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2006 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Chemistry(all)
- Education
Cite this
Mattson, B., Hulce, M., Cheng, W., Greimann, J., Hoette, T., & Menzel, P. (2006). Propanol to propane: An advanced laboratory experiment using heterogeneous catalysts for two successive gas-phase reactions. Journal of chemical education, 83(3), 421-424.