III International Conference

PP-II-37EFFECT OF PHYSIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF NANOSIZE MAGNESIUMOXIDE IN LIQUID PHASE MEERWEIN-PONNDORF-VERLY REDUCTIONOF CYCLOHEXANONE INTO CYCLOHEXANOLHeidari H., Abedini M., Nemati A., Amini M.M. 1Department of Chemistry, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran1 Department of Chemistry, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, IranE-mail: hannaheidari@yahoo.comMetal oxides with the size of grains in the nanometer range have been of considerableinterest in various filed of nanotechnology [1]. In recent years also applications of nanosizematerials have been extended to catalytic systems. Among nanosize metal oxides, magnesiumoxide with a large surface area and alkaline property is a promising catalyst for the liquidphase Meerwein-Pondorf-Verly reduction of ketons to alcohols [2]. To this end nanosizemagnesium oxide with various physiochemical properties have prepared by wet chemicalroutes from hydrolysis of magnesium chloride (MgO-1) and magnesium methoxide (MgO-2)[3-4], and after characterization with X-ray powder diffraction (Fig. 1), measurement ofparticle size and surface area have been employed as catalysts for the reduction ofcyclohexanone into cyclohexanol in isopropanol at 82 °C. Result showed that the nanosizemagnesium oxide obtained by various methods are effective catalysts for the reduction ofcyclohexanone into cyclohexanol. Among several type of nanosize magnesium oxide, the oneprepared from hydrolysis of magnesium methoxid showed higher yield. Results showed thatthe nanosize MgO prepared from air hydrolysis of magnesium methoxide and subsequentcalcination is more effective catalyst for reduction of cyclohexanone into cyclohexanol. Theeffect of calcination temperature and also recycled catalyst on the yield of reaction has beeninvestigated. Apparently, higher calcinations temperature resulted to decrease of yield, whichcan be attributed to the condensation of hydroxyl group and decrease of surface area. Therecovered magnesium oxides retain activity in reduction of cyclohexanone into cyclohexanol,but they are not effective as freshly prepared magnesium oxide.229