Effect of composition of the solvent on the selectivity of competitive hydrogenation of 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol and 1-hexene

The selectivity of competitive hydrogenation of 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol and 1-hexene on 5% Pt on silica gel catalyst at 20°C and atmospheric pressure was investigated, and the effect of changes in the composition of the solvent on the selectivity of hydrogenation was examined. Three solvent systems have been used: methanol-water, 1-heptanol-cyclohexane and ethanol-cyclohexane mixtures. The causes underlying changes in the selectivity of hydrogenation with changing composition of the solvent are discussed.