Back Cover: Hydrogen‐Free Gas‐Phase Deoxydehydration of 2,3‐Butanediol to Butene on Silica‐Supported Vanadium Catalysts (ChemCatChem 13/2017)

Abstract

The Cover shows the green Supertree Grove from the authors’ country, symbolizing the artificial processing of biomass‐derived 2,3‐butanediol, which is catalytically converted to butene, methyl ethyl ketone, acetaldehyde and other industrial chemicals. It represents the harmony between biotechnology and the chemical industry realized by a biomass‐to‐chemicals application.In their Communication, K. M. Kwok et al. demonstrate that 2,3‐butanediol, a product of bacteria fermentation, can be catalytically converted to butene on vanadium oxide catalysts through deoxydehydration without external H2, involving a transfer hydrogenation mechanism supported by studies of the intermediates and surface spectroscopic analysis. More information can be found in the Communication by K. M. Kwok et al. on page 2443 in Issue 13, 2017 (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201700301).