High-Throughput, In Situ Preparation of Mg-Al Hydrotalcites and Tandem Self-Condensation of Cyclopentanone Integrated via the Ball-Milling Process

This study presents an integrated process for the high-efficiency preparation of MgAlOx catalysts and the self-condensation of cyclopentanone by the ball-milling process. Compared with the traditional coprecipitation process, the ball-milling process can be implemented at room temperature, and Mg-Al hydrotalcite can be rapidly prepared within 1 h. Moreover, the catalytic activity of the catalyst prepared by the ball-milling method is higher than that of the traditional coprecipitation method (89.9 vs 85.3%). According to the characterizations, this can be attributed to two reasons: (i) more acid/base sites, which have a positive effect on the condensation reactivity and (ii) smaller particle sizes, which are more favorable for the contact between the catalysts and reactants during the reaction.