Chemical and phase equilibria calculation of α-pinene hydration in CO2-expanded liquid

Thermodynamics of the Isomerization of Monoterpene Epoxides

In this contribution, the thermodynamic analysis of α- and β-pinene epoxide isomerization over Fe and Cu supported on MCM-41 is presented using computational chemistry and group contribution methods (GCMs). Some physical-chemical data (T c, P c, v c, Z c, ω, T b, T fus) and thermodynamic (S°298.15, C p,298.15 °, C v,298.15 °, ΔH f,298.15 °, ΔG f,298.15 °, ΔH vb °, ΔH fus, C pL) properties obtained by different GCMs are reported for several monoterpenes and monoterpenoids, which significantly contribute to the knowledge of the properties of these compounds. Density functional theory (DFT), PBE-D3/6-311G(d,p), was employed for determining the Gibbs free energy and the heat of reaction associated with the transformation of monoterpene epoxides into aldehydes, ketones, and related oxygenated compounds in the presence of different solvents and at several temperatures. The calculations were compared with available data reported and the experimental results of the catalytic reactions. The transformation of α- and β-pinene epoxides into aldehydes appears to be more spontaneous and favorable than their transformations into alcohols in a wide range of temperatures. These results are in agreement with the experiments over Fe/MCM-41 and Cu/MCM-41, where α-pinene epoxide isomerization yields campholenic aldehyde (50-80% selectivity) as the main product. The 1.7Fe/MCM-41 material was more active in all solvents than 1.3Cu/MCM-41 for both α- and β-pinene epoxide isomerization. However, perillyl alcohol (20-70% selectivity) was the most favored for the isomerization reaction, except when ethyl acetate was the solvent. Enthalpy and Gibbs free energy of the studied reactions estimated by both GCMs and DFT calculations did not show large differences for most of the reactions at evaluated temperatures.

The selective addition of water

Water is omnipresent and unreactive. How to speed up water addition and even make it selective are highlighted in this perspective.

Hydration of α-pinene catalyzed by acid clays

The hydration reaction of α-pinene in the presence of natural clays treated with monochloroacetic acid as catalyst to obtain oxygenated compounds was studied. Catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, programmed thermal desorption of adsorbed pyridine, and infrared spectroscopic analysis of adsorbed pyridine to determine Brønsted and Lewis acid sites. Catalytic tests revealed that treatment of the natural clay with the acid improved the catalytic activity and the selectivity toward oxygenated products by increasing the acidity of the catalyst. The selectivity toward oxygenated compounds increased with the augment of the α-pinene conversion because of greater contact between water molecules with the remaining α-pinene molecules. The natural clay without treatment produced compounds resulting from α-pinene isomerization, whereas the treated clays produced alcohols and other products in addition to isomerization compounds. After a certain time, the α-terpineol was isomerized into cineols. Studies of the reusability of the JAL catalyst were performed (clay treated with monochloroacetic acid). As the number of reuses increased, the percent conversion decreased; however, the selectivity toward oxygenated compounds increased.