Catalytic Olefin Hydroalkoxylation by Nano Particles of Pollucite

The catalytic hydroalkoxylation of α,β-unsaturated esters, nitriles, and ethers with aliphatic and aromatic alcohols over pollucite using thermal and microwave-assisted methods was investigated. To study the effect of the alcohol structures on the mechanism of the hydroalkoxylation reaction, different alcohols, such as methanol to butanol, cyclohexanol, phenol, and 2-ethylhexanol were used. The activities of pollucite, in contrast to other basic solids, were scarcely affected by the presence of air and moisture. The correlation between alcohol acidity and reaction activity is discussed. The prepared pollucite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, volumetric nitrogen adsorption surface area analysis, and CO2 temperature-programmed desorption. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the size of the modified nano catalyst particles was under 40 nm.