Catalytic activity of palladium-doped iron phosphate in the oxidative dehydrogenation of lactic acid to pyruvic acid

The catalytic activity of iron phosphate in the oxidative dehydrogenation of lactic acid increases markedly by doping of a small amount of palladium (Pd) on the surface. At the beginning of the reaction, the selectivity of the Pd-doped catalysts to form pyruvic acid is very low, i.e. the main products are carbon oxides. However, as the time-on-stream increases, the selectivity increases gradually. After about 8 h on stream, the selectivity reaches the level of neat iron phosphate (80 mol%). On the other hand, the activity remains almost unchanged with a large variation in the time-on-stream. For example, the iron phosphate doped with 0.8 wt.% Pd is 10 times more active than the neat iron phosphate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]