Pd–Pb/SDB catalyst prepared by depositing lead and palladium on hydrophobic styrene-divinylbenzene (SDB) copolymer constitutes a new and highly efficient catalyst for the oxidative esterification of methacrolein with methanol to methyl methacrylate under mild conditions. Compared to the monometallic Pd/SDB catalyst and conventional hydrophilic catalysts supported on γ-Al2O3, the Pd–Pb/SDB bimetallic catalyst shows higher reaction rate and product selectivity. The Pd–Pb/SDB catalyst was prepared by impregnating method and characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherm, X-ray diffraction (XRD), environmental scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that Pd–Pb atoms formed intermetallic Pd3Pb1 crystals and the active component had a better dispersion and a smaller particle size than Pd/SDB. The SDB-supported catalyst could be recycled easily and reused, even up to seven cycles, without any appreciable loss efficiency. Based on the experimental results, the potential reaction mechanism was also proposed.

The direct oxidative esterification of methacrolein (MAL) with methanol in the presence of molecular O2 at low temperature and ambient pressure to methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out over a novel hydrophobic styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer (SDB) supported palladium catalyst, and the results were compared with conventional hydrophilic catalysts over SiO2 and γ-Al2O3. Among the catalysts studied, SDB supported palladium catalyst showed higher activity than the conventional catalysts. The Pd/SDB catalyst was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). A systematic investigation was carried out for the oxidative esterification of MAL with methanol over SDB supported catalyst. The effects of catalyst loading and alcohol/aldehyde molar ratio were studied. The reaction kinetics was studied, and the result showed that the fitting results agreed well with the experimental data. On the basis of the Langmuir–Hinshelwood adsorption model, the probable mechanism was suggested.

Liquid–liquid equilibria (LLE) data of one quaternary mixture for water + methanol + methylanthranilate (MA) + toluene and two constituent ternary mixtures for the systems (water + MA + toluene) and (water + methanol + toluene) at (298.15, 313.15, and 323.15) K were measured at atmospheric pressure. The reliability of the experimental LLE data was ascertained through Othmer–Tobias and Bachman correlations. The LLE experimental data for the systems were correlated using the universal quasichemical (UNIQUAC) and nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) models. The average root-mean-square deviations (RMSDs) of the NRTL and UNIQUAC models were 1.257 and 0.997. Both models accurately correlated the experimental tie-line data, while the correlation of the NRTL model was inferior to that of the UNIQUAC model.

Synthesis and kinetics of dichloro-methoxybenzenes were studied from 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and sodium methoxide in a temperature range of 353–383 K. Effects of molar ratio of reactants, solvent and reaction temperature were investigated. Reaction products include three isomers. The order of selectivity for the three isomers was 1,4-dichloro-2-methoxybenzene>>2,4-dichloro-1-methoxybenzene>1,2-dichloro-4-methoxybenzene. Kinetic equations for the parallel liquid-solid interface reaction between 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and sodium methoxide were established in the absence of catalyst. Kinetic parameters such as the pre-exponential factors and the activation energy were determined with the Arrhenius equation.