Solvent-free "green" amidation of stearic acid for synthesis of biologically active alkylamides over iron supported heterogeneous catalysts

: Maki-Arvela P, Zhu J, Kumar N, Eranen K, Aho A, Linden J, Salonen J, Peurla M, Mazur A, Matveev V, Murzin DY

Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

: 2017

: Applied Catalysis A: General

: APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL

: APPL CATAL A-GEN

: 542

: 350

: 358

: 9

: 0926-860X

: 1873-3875

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2017.06.006

Stearoyl ethanolamine was synthesized by amidation of stearic acid with ethanolamine in solventless conditions. Iron containing heterogeneous catalysts supported on SiO2, Al2O3, Beta (BEA), ZSM-12 (MTW) and Ferrierite (FER) were used in this work. Sn-modified Ferrierite and H-Ferrierite were also studied for comparison. Fe modified catalysts synthesized using solid state ion-exchange and evaporation impregnation methods, were thoroughly characterized with X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscope, FTIR with pyridine, nitrogen adsorption, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The highest conversion was obtained with Fe-H-FER-20 at 140 degrees C in 1 h giving 61% conversion and 98% selectivity towards the desired amide. The catalytic performance in terms of turnover frequency per mole of iron was achieved with the catalyst exhibiting the largest amount of Fes(3+) species, optimum acidity and a relatively low Bronsted to Lewis acid site ratio.