Reduction of chloroacetone over silica-supported noble metal catalysts

The reduction of chloroacetone over silica-supported noble metal catalysts yielded the hydrodechlorinated (acetone), the hydrogenated (1-chloro-2-propanol), and the hydrodechlorinated–hydrogenated (2-propanol) products at different selectivities depending on the catalyst used. Pd/SiO2 catalyzed the single-step hydrodechlorination preferentially to give acetone selectively. Pt/SiO2 promoted the hydrogenation into 1-chloro-2-propanol concurrently and the consecutive hydrogenation of acetone into 2-propanol as well. Over Rh/SiO2, acetone was transformed to 1-chloro-2-propanol through the addition of hydrogen chloride. The hydrodechlorination activity of noble metals followed the order of Pd > Pt ⪢ Rh > Ru.