Direct synthesis of methyl isobutyl ketone in gas-phase reaction over palladium-loaded hydroxyapatite

Several compositions of palladium-loaded calcium hydroxyapatite Pd(x)/CaHAp were prepared and characterized by XRD, IR, and UV–visible spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The acid–base properties of the samples were studied with the use of butan-2-ol conversion and IR spectroscopy coupled with lutidine adsorption/desorption. Calcium hydroxyapatite bears Lewis acid sites of moderate strength and a limited number of Bronsted acid sites, which produce butenes by dehydration. The selectivity of the dehydrogenation reaction (formation of methyl ethyl ketone) is very limited in the absence of oxygen but indicates the existence on the surface of phosphate of basic sites that a…