Novel bifunctional aluminum for oxidation of MTBE and TAME

The transformation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) using bifunctional aluminum in the presence of dioxygen (O-2) has been examined. Bifunctional aluminum, prepared by sulfating zero-valent aluminum with sulfuric acid, is an innovative extension of zero-valent metal technology. It has a dual functionality of simultaneously decomposing both reductively and oxidatively degradable contaminants. Bifunctional aluminum is capable of utilizing dioxygen through a reductive activation process to degrade oxygenates at ambient temperature and pressure where oxygenates are stable. The reductive activation of dioxygen is a new concept for oxygenate treatments for which most of oxidative technologies require strong oxidants. Results indicate that aluminum serves as a reductant to create favorable reducing conditions while sulfur-containing species, generated by the sulfation of aluminum at the metal surface, are considered to-act as active sites. MTBE and TAME underwent similar parallel reaction pathways where the oxidation occurred on both sides of ether linkage. The oxidation of MTBE produced primarily tert-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl formate, methyl acetate, and acetone while tert-amyl alcohol, tert-amyl formate, methyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, and acetone accounted for 71.7% of the TAME lost. A postulated mechanism rationalizing the oxidation of oxygenates by bifunctional aluminum is proposed.