About the Routes of Oxidative Conversion of 2-methyl-5-ethylpyridine on Vanadium Oxide Modified Catalyst

The vapor phase oxidation of 2-methyl-5-ethylpyridine (MEP) on modified vanadium oxide catalyst has been investigated. Di(5-ethyl)-2-pyridil, 2-methyl-5-acethylpyridine and 3-acethylpyridine have been identified as intermediates of MEP oxidation by NMR 13 C spectroscopic and gas chromatography mass spectrometry methods. It has been shown that the interaction between the pyridine base and acidic proton donating sites on the catalyst surface causes an increase of substituents reactivity in 2-position in all stages of 2-methyl-5-ethylpyridine transformation inducing their oxidative elimination. A distinction in composition of the oxidation products is an outcome of a change of the dialkylpyridine substituents in 2- and 5-position contribution. Using literature and experimental data the basic routes of the 2-methyl-5-ethylpyridine oxidative conversion have been determined. The ammoxidation is a process based on the joint oxidation of the initial organic substance and ammonia by air oxygen in the presence of a catalyst [1]. The basic step of ammoxidation is a vapor phase catalytic oxidation, which determines the main routes of the former. Therefore, the obtained results give a possibility for the first time to explain the reason for the change of selectivities during MEP ammoxidation in the present of water.