Method for catalytic decomposition of organic hydroperoxides

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for decomposing organic hydroperoxides in the presence of a catalyst. It provides a process for decomposing organic hydroperoxides in the presence of a catalyst into a mixture of alcohols and ketones, in which the catalyst comprises at least one ruthenium-based catalytically active metallic element incorporated into a solid support chosen from the group comprising metal oxides and carbon blacks, such as the carbon blacks obtained by the pyrolysis of organic compounds. The process of the invention is especially useful in the decomposition of important chemical intermediates such as cyclohexyl hydroperoxide.

1 - 14 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         15 . A process for decomposing organic hydroperoxides, comprising the step of carrying out a decomposition reaction in the presence of a catalyst into alcohols and ketones, said catalyst comprising at least one ruthenium-based catalytically active metallic element incorporated into a support selected from the group consisting of carbon blacks and metal oxides.  
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the support is a metal oxide having a specific surface area of greater than 10 m 2 /g.  
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the specific surface area greater than 100 m 2 /g.  
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the support is a carbon black having a high specific surface area.  
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the catalyst further comprises at least one additional metallic element as dopant element.  
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 19 , wherein the dopant metallic element is a transition metal of Groups 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b, 7b and 8 of the Periodic Table of Elements as published in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 66 th  edition (1985/1986) by The Chemical Rubber Co.  
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 19 , wherein the dopant metallic element is a rare-earth metal, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, rhenium, iron, cobalt, nickel, rhodium, palladium, platinum, gold, silver, copper, iridium or osmium.  
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the catalyst is present in an amount expressed as a molar percentage of ruthenium with respect to the number of moles of hydroperoxide to be decomposed, from 0.0001% to 20%.  
     
     
         23 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the decomposition reaction is carried out at a temperature of between 20° C. and 200° C.  
     
     
         24 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the reaction is carried out in a solution of the hydroperoxide in a solvent.  
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the solvent is a hydrocarbon, an alkane, or a halogenated hydrocarbon.  
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the solvent is a hydrocarbon identical to that whose oxidation leads to the hydroperoxide to be decomposed.  
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the hydroperoxide has a concentration of between 1% and 80% by weight with respect to the weight of the solution.  
     
     
         28 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein the hydroperoxide is a primary or secondary hydroperoxides derived from alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatic alkyl hydrocarbons, alkenes or cycloalkenes having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         29 . The process according to  claim 28 , wherein the aromatic alkyl hydrocarbons have one or more substituents which are alkyl groups or halogen atoms.  
     
     
         30 . The process according to  claim 28 , wherein the hydroperoxide is cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, cyclododecyl hydroperoxide, tetralin hydroperoxide, ethylbenzene hydroperoxide or pinane hydroperoxide.