Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

1998

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Chemistry

Committee Chair

Katharine Covert.

Abstract

Heterogeneous catalysts usually consist of a high metal oxide or metal dispersed on a reducible oxide support. "Inert" supports have been shown to be intimately involved in heterogeneous catalytic processes. Of interest is the MoO3/Sb2O3 catalyst used in the ammoxidation of propene to acrylonitrile. Simple molybdenum complexes have provided a model for the role of the MoO3/Sb2O 3 catalyst, but the role of the support is not well understood. In order to better understand the role of the support, a series of antimony allyloxide compounds of the formula Sb(OR)3 (where OR = allyl oxide, 3-Methyl-2-buten-1-oxide, 2-Methyl-3-buten-2-oxide, and 3-Methyl-3-buten-1-oxide) by metathesis and alcoholysis methods (∼70% yield) were synthesized. Compounds of the formula SbMe(OR)2 and SbMe2(OR) (where OR = allyl oxide, 3-Methyl-2-buten-1-oxide, 2-Methyl-3-buten-2-oxide, and 3-Methyl-3-buten-1-oxide) were synthesized only by a metathesis reaction between SbMe3I2 and SbMe 2I and the sodium salt of the desired alcohol (∼35--60% yields). Compounds of the formula SbMe3(OR)2 (where OR = 3-Methyl-3-buten-2-oxide and 2,6-diisopropyl phenoxide compounds) were synthesized by a metathesis reaction between SbMe3I2 and the sodium salt of the desired alcohol (∼54% yield). Reactions of Sb(OR)3 and SbMe(OR) 2 with multiple oxidizing agents were attempted in order to obtain the corresponding Sb(V) oxo compounds. The synthesis and reactions with oxidizing agents are discussed along with the relevance of this research to the heterogeneous oxidation process.

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