Oxidation of 1,3-butadiene over Pd/C and Pd-Te/C catalysts in polar media

The oxidation of 1,3-butadiene over the Pd/C and Pd-Te/C heterogeneous catalysts occurs in organic solvents containing water at a temperature of 100°C and an oxygen partial pressure of $P_{\left {O_2 } \right]} = 4$ atm. Crotonaldehyde dominates among the three major products of oxidation over the Pd catalyst. The introduction of Te into the catalyst increases the methyl vinyl ketone yield, the furan yield being the lowest in all cases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the active catalyst components can be in a partially oxidized state, particularly after storing the catalysts in air. Additional hydrogen treatment results in almost complete reduction of the active components to metals and enhances the catalytic activity. It is supposed that the oxidation of 1,3-butadiene over the Pd-Te catalysts proceeds via the activation of dioxygen over the Pd⁰ sites, with oxidized Pd and Te participating in subsequent chemical transformations.