WANG Zhihui, YU Xiaolin, LU Zhiguo*, GUO Zhenmei
(College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China)
Abstract: Using Co2(CO)8 as a catalyst, the synthesis of methyl α-phenylpropionate by hydroesterification of styrene with CO and methanol was studied, and a possible reaction mechanism has also been proposed. The dosage of catalyst, promoter, solvent and reaction conditions e.g. CO pressure, reaction temperature were investigated. The optimum conditions were obtained as follows: n(Co2(CO)8)/n(styrene)=0.06, toluene as solvent, pyridine as promoter and n(pyridine)/n(Co)=2, CO pressure 6.0 MPa, reaction temperature 95 ℃ for 12 h. Under this conditions, the conversion of styrene approached 100% and the yield of methyl α-phenylpropionate reached 89.07 %, meanwhile i/n=24.35.
Key words: Cobalt carbonyl; Styrene; Hydroesterification; Methyl 2-phenylpropionate
E-mail: lvzhiguo@qust.edu.cn
Journal of Molecular Catalysis, Vol. 25, Issue 5, 2011, 387-392
