Selective Ortho alkylation of phenol with alcohols over catalysts derived from hydrotalcite-like anionic clays

The vapour phase alkylation of phenol with a series of alcohols containing different number of carbons ranging from C₁ to C₈ were investigated over catalysts derived from magnesium-aluminium hydrotalcite with Mg/Al atomic ratio 3 (MgAl 3.0-HT). The results indicated that at 623 K the catalytic activity for phenol conversion increased with increasing chain length of linear long chain alcohols to give 2-alkylated linear alkyl phenols, without any isomerisation of the alkyl moiety. Isomorphous substitution of Mg²⁺ by Cu²⁺ or Ni²⁺ in the MgAl 3.0-HT resulted in an increase in selectivity of 2-alkyl and 2,6-dialkylphenols (≈60%) in the alkylation of phenol with 1-hexanol or 1-octanol.