Synthesis of Styrene by The C-H Activation of Benzene over Palladium based Catalyst
Styrene is an important aromatic compound, which is applied in polystyrene plastic materials, polyesters, various protective coatings, resins, rubbers and other common copolymers. Currently, the majority of styrene is industrially produced by multiple-step and energy-intensive chemical processes from petroleum-derived ethylbenzene precursor. Beside the use of a non-renewable feedstock itself, these synthesis processes produce styrene with a low conversion selectivity. Thus, there is a need to develop novel sustainable processes for styrene building-block production from renewable carbon-containing resources, such as biomass-derived lignin residues. The current bio-refinery processes draw value from carbohydrates, leaving lignin as a waste. However, lignin represents a potentially valuable source of renewable aromatic/phenolic compounds for diverse chemical industries. We herein reported a cost-effective catalytic route for the synthesis of styrene by oxidative coupling of benzene with styrene over palladium based catalyst.
