Dehydrogenation of Secondary Alcohols with Reduced Copper. IV. Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Isopropyl Alcohol (Part 2)

Abstract The present work is to determine whether the yields of acetone and of the oily products (isobutyl methyl ketone and diisobutyl ketone) to be obtained from isopropyl alcohol by the catalytic action of reduced copper are affected by the precipitation temperature in the preparation of the catalysts, and to find a catalyst efficient for the production of oily products. Isopropyl alcohol was changed to acetone in 91∼95% yield with no side reaction, by being passed over various copper catalysts at 325°C. The maximum yield of the oily products was obtained with the catalyst prepared with sodium hydroxide as a precipitant and at 22°C as the precipitation temperature, and at the reaction temperature of 220°C, amounting to 39.28% based on isopropyl alcohol used.