Oxalic acid

About: Oxalic acid is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 11584 publications have been published within this topic receiving 173263 citations. The topic is also known as: ethanedioic acid & H2ox.

Route of the catalytic oxidation of phenol in aqueous phase

Abstract: Catalytic oxidation of phenol in aqueous phase over a copper catalyst supplied by Engelhard (Cu-0203T) has been studied. A reaction pathway of phenol oxidation under intermediate temperature and pressure has been proposed. Temperatures employed were 140 and 160 °C and catalyst concentration ranged from 4 to 1550 g l −1 of liquid phase. To achieve this wide interval of catalyst concentration values, two experimental set-ups were employed: a basket stirred tank reactor (BSTR), with the liquid phase in batch, and an integral fixed-bed reactor (FBR) with co-current up-flow of gas and liquid phases. The main intermediates detected in the phenol oxidation were ring compounds (hydroquinone, catechol, benzoquinone), which break to yield CO 2 and short chain acids, mainly maleic, formic, acetic and oxalic acids, and also traces of malonic, succinic and fumaric acids. Oxalic acid was also found to form a complex with the copper which oxidizes to CO 2 . The only non-oxidizable intermediate under the conditions sets was acetic acid. In order to propose a phenol oxidation pathway, several runs were carried out where the main intermediates detected in the phenol oxidation were fed to the FBR under different temperatures and catalyst loadings. It was found that catechol oxidation does not yield either benzoquinone or maleic acid but oxalic acid which finally mineralized to CO 2 . However, benzoquinone and maleic acid are products clearly detected in the hydroquinone oxidation. Oxidation reactions of phenol and those intermediates studied take place not only on the solid surface but also in the liquid phase.

Surface-Catalyzed Chromium(VI) Reduction: Reactivity Comparisons of Different Organic Reductants and Different Oxide Surfaces

Abstract: CrVI reduction by low molecular weight organic compounds with various functional groups was examined in the presence and absence of oxide surfaces. Surface-catalyzed CrVI reduction has been demonstrated with α-hydroxyl carboxylic acids (glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid, and tartaric acid) and their esters (methyl glycolate, methyl lactate, and methyl mandelate), with α-carbonyl carboxylic acids (glyoxylic acid and pyruvic acid), with oxalic acid, and with substituted phenols (salicylic acid, 4-methoxyphenol, and resorcinol). Both goethite (α-FeOOH) and aluminum oxide (γ-Al2O3) exert an appreciable catalytic effect, although somewhat less than that observed with titanium dioxide. This study indicates that surface-catalyzed CrVI reduction may occur in soils, sediments, aquifers, and other aquatic environments rich in mineral surfaces.