Vapor-phase hydrogenation of acetone on applied metals of the platinum group

Ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, and platinum, applied on -Al₂O₃, show a high catalytic activity in the vapor-phase hydrogenation of acetone to isopropanol at 337–393K; under these conditions palladium is inactive. A reaction mechanism has been derived from kinetic measurements, adsorption and thermal desorption data, and IR spectra includes as a limiting stage the reaction of acetone adsorbed on the metal with atomic or molecular hydrogen. The kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of the reaction have been established. The order of the specific catalytic activity of the metals has been determined, the mechanism of adsorption of alcohols on transition metals has been discussed, and the inhibition of the reaction by isopropanol adsorbed on the Ru catalyst has been interpreted.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 698–706, November–December, 1986.