Ru-C-ZnO Composite Catalysts for the Synthesis of Methyl Isobutyl Ketone via Single Step Gas Phase Acetone Self-Condensation

Ruthenium/activated charcoal (Ru-C) was modified by a solid-solid interaction method with synthesized nano-zinc oxide (n-ZnO). Three different ratios of Ru-C:n-ZnO (1:2, 1:1 and 3:2) were used to prepare Ru-C-ZnO composite catalysts. These were used in the gas-phase, one-step self-condensation of acetone to methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). The composite catalyst (1:1 ratio) contained 2.5 wt% Ru showed superior conversion of acetone and selectivity for MIBK. Furthermore, this catalyst showed good consistency for MIBK formation for 100 h without any deactivation. Characterization of the catalysts revealed that balanced hydrogenation and acid-base functional character is crucial to obtain high catalytic performance.