Sepiolites as supports for Pd catalysts used in organic reduction processes

Abstract

This paper reviews the use of Spanish sepiolites as supports for Pd catalysts employed for the reduction of variously substituted alkenes, the selective semi-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene and the reduction of acetophenone, both with gaseous hydrogen and by hydrogen transfer with cyclohexene as donor. The performance of Pd/sepiolite catalysts is compared with that of synthesized catalysts supported over SiO₂, SiO₂AlPO₄, AlPO₄ and AlPO₄Al₂O₃, which we have used extensively, as well as with that of several commercially available catalysts from Fluka, Merck and Degussa.