The oxidative decarbonylation of acetic and propionic acids with the formation of the corresponding alcohol and alkyl carboxylate is observed in the Rh III /Cu I,II /Cl -catalytic sys tem in the presence of О 2 and CO. The decarbonylation of propionic acid in a deuterated solvent results in the substitution of hydrogen atoms by deuterium in the alkyl part of the products to form CH 2 DCOOD (CHD 2 COOH) and CHD 2 COOD (CD 3 COOH). The subse quent decarbonylation of deuterated acetic acids affords the corresponding deuteromethanols detected as esters with propionic and deuteroacetic acids. The substitution of the hydrogen atom by deuterium in the alkyl part of molecules of the products of oxidative decarbonylation of propionic acid, when the reaction is carried out in a deuterated solvent, indicates that propionic acid behaves as saturated hydrocarbon and blocks the oxidation of poorly soluble methane. Unlike propionic acid, acetic acid enters only the oxidative decarbonylation reaction and does not block methane oxidation.Interest in chemistry of carboxylic acids is generated by their role of biomass treatment aimed at producing diesel fuel. The presence of the carboxyl group decreases the energy content of the fuel. Therefore, one of the prob lems, namely, removal of the carboxyl group from fatty acids of lipids, can be solved by the decarbonylation of the acid followed by the dehydration of the alcohol. 1 In the present work, the decarbonylation of propionic and acetic acids under mild conditions (95 °С) was studied. It has previously 2 been found that the decarbonylation of stearic acid on the rhodium catalysts occurs only at 240-280 °С.
ExperimentalThe following reagents and materials were used: RhCl 3 •(H 2 O) n (34.5 wt.% Rh), NaCl, CuO, NaCl, H 2 SO 4 , and HClO 4 (reagent grade), as well as H 2 O (bidistillate). Acetic acid (reagent grade) was distilled, C 2 H 5 COOH (Merck) was used as received, heptane (standard) was distilled off, and dioxane (re agent grade) was refluxed for 2 h above metallic sodium and then distilled. Methane (99.8%), carbon monoxide (99.9%), oxygen (99.9%), helium (trade mark A), nitrogen (special purity grade), hydrogen (99.0%), and deuterated compounds D 2 O (99.9 at.%), CD 3 COOD (99.5 at.%), and D 2 SO 4 (98.0 at.%) were used with out purification; and CD 4 (98.2 at.%) was condensed twice at the temperature of liquid nitrogen and then evaporated at -(60-50) °С to remove heavy admixtures, for instance, CCl 4 .Catalytic experiments were carried out in a 34 cm 3 Fluoro plast lined stainless steel reactor using the earlier described pro cedure. 3,4 In a typical experiment on methane oxidation, an autoclave was loaded with 6.25•10 -3 mmole of RhCl 3 and 18.75•10 -3 mmole of NaCl as solutions (0.25 g) in D 2 O; [RhCl 3 ] = 2.5•10 -3 mol L -1 and [NaCl] = 7.5•10 -3 mol L -1 . Then a 0.96•10 -3 М D 2 SO 4 solution (0.25 g) in D 2 O, 2.27 g of CD 3 COOD, and 10 mg of CuO were added. The autoclave was fed with the following gases: methane (6.0 MPa), oxygen (0.56 MPa), and carbon monoxide ...