Hydrogenation of methyl benzoate over Mn/Al catalysts: Comparison among catalyst preparation routes

Mn/Al catalysts for hydrogenation of methyl benzoate to benzaldehyde were prepared by different methods. The catalyst prepared from hydrotalcite-like precursor, the mesoporous MSU-gamma supported Mn catalyst and the Mn-incorporated MSU-gamma catalyst are more active than conventional Mn/gamma-Al(2)O(3) catalyst. The reaction temperature for the same yield level can be reduced by 20-60 degrees C. High specific surface area, high dispersion of manganese oxide species and strong interaction of manganese oxide species with gamma-Al(2)O(3) are of benefit to the reaction.