Abstract
In the condensation of ethanol by dehydrogenation with the use of magnesia catalyst, crotonaldehyde as intermediate product is not reduced by hydrogen but by ethanol itself. And this reaction is already proceeded at such a low temperature at which ethanol is singly unreactive. The magnesia catalyst has a property to accelerate aldol condensation of acetaldehyde at such a low tomperature at which ethanol is singly unreactive. Accordingly, the synthesis of butanol is possible by adding acetaldehyde previously into the ethanol as a raw material at such a low temperature at which ethanol is singly unreactive. By extending this consideration, the catalysts gaving no dehydrogenating activity also can be used as the catalysts for condensation of alcohols by the previous addition of acetaldehyde in the raw materials.
